


Dragontail boy

by SkyKathryn



Category: Hiccstrid - Fandom, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - How to Train Your Dragon, Dragons, Eventual Smut, F/M, Smut, hiccup - Freeform, how to train your dragon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-13 20:37:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 42,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3395543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyKathryn/pseuds/SkyKathryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternative universe how to train your dragon. Hiccup met toothless when he was young only a few years after his mum was taken. During a raid Toothless was resting and the young toddler had woken up and was looking for his daddy but wandered into the woods and upon a sleeping dragon. They made friends until Toothless had to go, when a small Hiccup decided to go with him. this is set when Hiccup has hit 18, and is out searching the lands with his pet dragon, and makes many slip ups along the way. Will include Hiccstrid soon</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. chapter1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just so you know guys im in the middle of editing this whole thing, i will try and give you a new chapter at the end of it! thanks for sticking by me x

The room was dark, and his legs hurt.

These were the first two things he noticed. Then the ache rising up his neck and blossoming over his shoulder blades. The strange way his bed was digging him in uncomfortable places and the smell of horse.

Wait. Horse?

There is no way a horse could have reached his room up in the rocky cliff face. 

Why would he want one to anyway? His mind begged him not to go there.

A loud groan slipped his lips as a hand rose to his throbbing brow, pushing away spindles of straw, straw?, from his face. He opened his emerald eyes. Hiccup most definitely didn't have a straw bed. That was begging for disaster. 

Shrugging the hand travelled back to check his plat but came across loose waves instead, and a distinct lack of loose waves at that. When he left it had been in his usual hip length plat, courtesy of Mama of course, but now it ended. It ended bluntly just below his shoulders.

Sitting up abruptly his head span, and his distinctly liquid filled stomach rolled like an angry ocean wave. Holding in a heave and using his hands to steady himself he waited until the rafters stopped moving before checking his locks again. 

Gone. 

Mama would be upset. 

A couple of ponies below him let out a startled whinny when his loud cussing broke though the dark silence. Ponies below him? So a hay loft then. Right where have ponies? Quite a few of the islands around the north side of his home. So he was most likely north. OK, he could work with that.

First, he told himself mentally, stand. His drink riddled body tried to respond, it really did, but as soon as he stepped he ended up back on his hands and knees again. He landed with a loud, bruise inducing thump and a moan before rolling back onto his ass.

Shackles, loose and poorly made, encased his ankles. Whoever captured him wanted him to stay then. What had he done last night? Hopefully not some angry horse farmer’s daughter. He was about to throw himself back into the hay when an almighty crash shook the building.

"I've never been drunken under the table before." A huge booming voice filled the air, and Hiccup sat up again, leaning against the support beam next to him.

"I...I...I know Chief, but he's just some lad from the trading ships, he'll be gone tomorrow." a weak, trembling voice replied.

"Yakshit. Of course it will. All my men saw it! Some scrap of a boy can't be going around telling people he out-drunk the Bourge Chief." The boom retorted, and the thunk that followed would suggest he hit his companion. Hard.  
Humans. Hiccup rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Ka-thunk.   
Ka-thunk.   
Ka-thunk.

The large man took the straining wooden steps two at a time, to revile a huge built, slightly fat, long mouse brown bearded man wearing a wonky helmet.

"OH! Yer awake! Scrap, what are you 'ere for? Ye a spy? A traitor? A dead man runnin'?" His beard was littered with crumbs which sprayed over Hiccup as he looked down on him. His breath stank of stale beer and meat. Hiccup did his best not to keel over.

"You cut my hair." Hiccup ignored the Chiefs questions, looking the other way from the smell.

"Ye kept getting mistaken for a woman Scrap. Ye should thank me." The man bloated like a Mama Nadder watching her hatchings fly for the first time. Although his man was only proud of himself.

"Never had a woman complain before." Hiccup growled, zeroing his eyes against the taller man beady orbs. The man seemed slightly shaken. Good Hiccup thought.

"Well my men did." The Chief spat. "And I wasn't about to say no when the smallest scrap of a man I’ve ever met challenges me to a drink off." A nasty smirk twisted under his wild moustache.

"By the sounds of it, I won anyway." God his sass really was going to get him in serious trouble one day.

"YOU PASSED OUT;" The man grabbed Hiccups neck, lifting him from the floor and to eye level with himself. "MILES BEFORE ME."

Hiccup merely shrugged as best he could until he was placed back on the ground.

"Fine, if you say so." He swung his arms be his side. "That's a stupid way to measure such a short time though."

"Why you..." The Chief calmed himself. "Let him go. I want to go home. I have a feeling the Wife will be upset I’m out so late." He signalled for the other to unlock his shackles and he scurried forwards, only reaching the chiefs elbow, and freed his legs.

"Thank you." Hiccup addressed the assistant, who on closer inspection only seemed to be about 12. The boy hid back behind the Chief who was looking at Hiccup in waiting. "What else is it or can I go?" He sighed.

"Don't forget who won our wager." With that he tossed a small bag at Hic’s feet and turned on his heel, nearly trampling the boy and descended the stairs, making a comment about the ego of young men.

Hiccup stood watching them leave before shaking his head, getting disorientated by its lightness now it lacked hair, before following the old man out of the building, saying hello to a few ponies along the way.


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> updating and rewriting this as necessary, please bear with!

The Fury paced nervously. 

He couldn't shake the feeling his pet human had hurt itself whilst in the town of people who didn't like dragons.

He couldn't understand why they didn't like dragons. Dragons just wanted cuddles and flying and chin scratches, what was so bad about that? A warble of a noise escaped his lips as he looked all around the clearing his human had left him in.

Maybe he should fly away and give him a taste of his own medicine? Now that sounds more fun than being stuck in a hole.

A playful, slightly vengeful, smile drew up his features as he leaned down to unfurl his mighty wings, and sprang off, jumping to the sides of the clearing and out the top.

"HEY!" His human was back! The Nightfury bounded over to his pet, pouncing and trapping him under his body. The man made a delighted noise he was sure. 

"Hey! Hey! Toothless! No off! I can't breathe!" He heaved out so the dragon jumped back, curling his body around him. "What is it bud? You miss me?" The boy started scratching under his chin, enticing little happy pearls of noise from the black beast. "I had an interesting night. Slept with some ponies." He talked to the dragon who wasn't really listening, but that’s what was expected. Why would a dragon care for human quarrels? Shaking his head Toothless licked Hiccup who shrieked loudly. The human jumped up, trying to brush off the wet gift whilst the dragon made a sound like he was laughing at the boy. "You are a pain bud." Hiccup laughed, flicking the spit back at his dragon, whom made a very unimpressed grunt.

"Hmmm, Home? I think I could use a good warm sleep, how ‘bout you Bud?" The human stroked the dragons scales as he spoke and Toothlesss turned so his saddle, carefully crafted to save his riders ass, was next to him. Hiccup swung over his stead and settled into position. "Let's go home."

The dragon sprung off into the sky whilst Hiccup held on tight, wishing for his flight suit that he left at home, being cleaned of Nightfury spit yet again. He patted the dragon lovingly as they levelled out in flight, clouds just above them as they flew over small islands, and he let out a happy shrill, sending a plasma blast in front of them in joy. He really did love flying. And Hiccup was glad of that. He was more at home in the sky than on the ground.

A little later it was getting dark, winter was here, and they expertly manoeuvred around the icy entrance of the haven, knowing the entrance since they were both 5 really helped when it was dark, regardless of the fact that the dragon could see much better than his pet.

They landed next to the Bewilderbeast, bowing before Toothless climbed them up the cliff and into the main opening, trotting straight to the kitchen where, sadly, his humans other friend was cooking. 

"Hello boys, where have you two been this time?" She smiled lovingly at her son, tossing his dragon a fish, which he gobbled down and walked away to his small quarters, curling up on his pets big comfy bed of furs to warm it up.

"We went to Bourge, and I out drank the Chief." Hiccup informed her, grabbing a wooden goblet and filling it by the small waterfall by the window. 

"Bourge? Well done my boy, what did you win?" She laughed, turning the slowly burning fish over the fire. Hiccup tried not to wince.

"Small bag of gold and a night shackled in a stable." He responded, setting to chopping raw carrots and potatoes, throwing them in the pot over the second, smaller fire they used for warm water and tea.

"Always such gracious hosts I’m sure." She sighed. "Hicc? That has your washing in." She pointed a charred fish at the place he'd thrown the veg.

"Damn" He grabbed a holed spoon and fished out as much as he could, then took that pot off the heat to fill and boil another. No use wasting good, edible food. "I swear these people don't know how to handle metal, if I twisted the wrong way and sneezed they would have broken." He joked.

"Ok, i can't not ask. Just where is your hair boy?" She asked, finally giving into the urge to ask. It looked simply horrific.

"The ass thought it was ok to cut it whilst drunk. His men apparently thought I was a woman. Who subsequently went on to out drink their Chief." Hiccup huffed back, pouting like the five-year-old who came to her.

"I'll sort it once we eat. How long will the vegetables be son?" She informed him, tilting her head in question.

"A while, eat the fish," She saw his wince, "Then the veg after." He told her, swallowing hard. She wished she could cook. Maybe he would be bigger if she could cook like her husband’s friends. She looked away from her son. She wishes she could still see her husband, see her old friends, show them just how wrong they had all been about her son, but Hiccup couldn't know that so she straightened her back and handed him a charred remains. "Thanks." He took the offering and sat on his chair at the small wooden table he made them when he was 11. He was useful and handy like that; in a way she wasn't. He was nice to have around.

"Ye know, I been thinking. If you want to go to your old home, I can take you, but I’m not joining you." His mother said, sitting next to him. A surprised look fell across him as he took in what she was saying. His mother had told him all about Berk, and his Father. She had never hidden that from him. But he also knew all about the killing and fighting. They had taken out the nest controlling the dragons a few years ago, so dragons no longer attacked, but he knew they wouldn't take too kindly to him turning up on a Nightfury. He also knew his mother missed the place, he could see it in her eyes whenever she talked about it, but she was afraid. He had to show her otherwise. 

"When?" Hiccup asked, biting into the fish. Burnt on the outside, slightly raw on the inside. Good thing he had a strong stomach. She had always asked him not to go there and he had followed her request. She was his mother after all.

"Tomorrow? You'll have to hide Toothless, and work out a lie to how you got there but if you can do that we'll leave when you're ready." Valka tried to sound nonchalant, like it wasn't the most terrifying thing to send her son back to the monsters who drove her away, but she did promise to take him after he turned 18, if he so wished.  
Suddenly his head was in her lap, and the lack of hair was saddening. That hadn't been cut since a small nadder set it alight when he was seven. She ran her hands through the shorter locks. She supposed it made him look older, and more masculine.

"I think I can do that. Broken ship maybe? Get Toothless to drop me in the sea not too far away and he can go hide?" Hiccup tried, enjoying the feeling of his mother’s fingers raking through his hair like he was six again and couldn't sleep.

"That could work." Her fingers stilled, then untangled a knot from flying, and continued her brushing.

Toothless wandered into the room and nabbed Hiccups fish from his stick. 

"EY!" Hiccup sat up and tackled his dragon, play fighting him until the dragon bopped him on the head with a large paw. She laughed affectionately at the two. How could someone hate dragons? Shaking her head, she checked the vegetables and served them on a plate for them to share. Pointedly ignoring the heavily sinking feeling inn her chest and stomach.


	3. chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing this whole thing, bear with me :D

"Now, are you sure?" Valka Shook Hiccup awake. He moaned, feeling Toothless pull on his furs, dragging them away from his body, exposing his naked torso to the cold of the cave.

"Hmmm? What day is it?" Hic rubbed his eyes and sat up, pulling the furs back around his shoulders. His mother had a sad smile playing on her lips. Wrapped in furs was the closest he'd ever looked to being the Chief he was born to be.  
Maybe once this was all over he could be the greatest Chief Berk had ever seen.

"The day you wanted to go to Berk." She ran her hand through her son’s hair, for what felt like one of the last times.

"Yeah," He rubbed his eyes, "I'll just get dressed, see you for breakfast." He lent forward and kissed her cheek quickly and jumped out of bed, already wearing yesterday’s trousers and scurried around to find his green top. She had patched that top so many times after he ran too close to brambles, or caught the sharp side of a dragon claw play fighting. Turning she had to cover her face to hide the forming tears in her eyes.  
____________________________________________________________________________  
"You got it?" Ruffnut threw the blond the fish basket for her to toss to the next person in line, and the next and so on. The last haul of the year was coming in before the snow set in, and there was a cold sleet hammering down on the small village of Berk. 

"Let’s just get this last ship unloaded and get inside!" She yelled back at her best friend, catching the next basket with practised ease. 

"Last one!" Some Viking hollered from five ahead of them, and tossed it again. Up, up, up, up, up, toss, She threw the last basket and rubbed her hands on her skirt then hoisted her axe off the ground and rested it in the holder on her back. 

"You coming to the mead hall tonight? Last catch celebration?" Ruff whacked Astrid’s shoulder as she walked over to follow her up the docks. Astrid winced.

"Yeah I think Father wants to go with the family." She shrugged. She wasn't a huge fan of mead hall parties. Everyone just got drunk and men leered and women gigged far too much. She was also of age to find a husband, or over age really, and all eyes were on her. Leery old men were not her favourite past time.

"Good, some of the fishermen are staying I think." Ruff wiggled her eyebrows and pointed a thumb over her bony shoulder. Astrid’s eyes followed the digit and saw the thick muscled men following them up the ramps, she noticed them staring and jeering at the girl’s asses.

"Yeah, they seem like quite the catch." She responded, rolling her eyes at her friend. Being the only two girls in their age group really meant something her, Astrid was happier being a sheildmaiden her whole life. She didn't like the guys here. Why would she settle? Better to die in battle than a loveless marriage. At least that's what she told herself on lonely nights in the dark of her bedroom.

"Come on, have some fun girl." Ruff nudged her as they reached land and then headed off to find her twin and cause trouble.

Astrid rolled her eyes again and turned to her house, opening it to catch up on a couple of hours sleep before the long night ahead.  
______________________________________________________________________________  
The flight was long and it made Hiccups legs ache. Nearly 12 hours in the air hurt even after 12 years of flying he still hurt after a while, especially as the sleet set in and coated his body in freeze. Once they landed and jumped off he groaned loudly, ice cracking and falling off of him under shelter of the trees.

"Good flying bud." He thanked his dragon, scratching the slightly irritated beast under the chin until it cooed and gave into the petting.

"Good flying yourself Son." Valka smiled, brushing the ice from his back.

"Thanks Mam. Sure you won’t come with me?" He asked one last time, taking his mother’s gloved hands in his own to make her look at him. She simply shook her head sadly.

"I can't child, you know that. If He asks, tell him I don't know you're here." She stroked his face, brushing the cleared hair from his face, She had cut some shape into it so it sat around his face and swept across his forehead, but she still wasn't used to it. "Be safe my Son, come home to me safe, and in one piece." She kissed his head and held him close once more to remember the shape of his body, knowing he may well not come home ever, and stepped back to assess him.

"Yes Mama, I promise." He used the term he used to when he was little before clasping his hands loosely behind his back. Now he was finally here he was nervous. What if his father didn't recognise him? Or want him? Or what if the people found Toothless and tried to kill him? Maybe his Mother was right. Maybe this was a horrendous idea after all. 

"Now you've wanted this for years. Go get 'em my boy." Valka jumped onto Cloudjumpers back and pulled her ornate mask down, rearranging her cloak around her. "Go my Son. Send a terror if you can't fly Him." She pointed at the Fury and with that she took off into the sleet again, leaving her son on the ground.

He was sat around a small fire Toothless had made, his dragon wrapping his wing over his rider to keep him warmer. 

"Bud, what if no one believes it's me?" Hiccup had sat until it fell dark around them, roasting fish and a random squirrel as the time waned. 

The dragon nudged his friend, feeling his growing concern and cooed in a hopeful way, trying to persuade his human of the chance that it could go well. Even if he didn't completely understand what it was. "Thanks Bud."

Suddenly a crack could be heard through the trees and they both jumped.


	4. chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing this whole thing!

Men. 

Astrid rolled her eyes, trying to scrub the leers of drunk old men watching her young curves as she walked around the mead hall looking for her dragon fighting counterparts. 

"'Striddddd....Hey! AsssssTrid!" Snotlout called her over, slurring his words already and she sighed deeply whilst walking towards him.

"Drunk already Snot?" She quipped, sitting next to him. Her father and his were a little way over and his arm landed heavily over her shoulders. He had some little idea that she would marry him, and when he was drunk that idea seemed to fester further into his solid head. Their fathers raised eyebrows at each other until she shrugged his arm off of her.

"Only because they keep giving it to me, you take some!" He shoved the tankard into her hands, spilling the mead over her pelt skirt.

"For God’s sake Snotlout. I don't want it and now I’m covered in it." She growled, shoving it back into him and spilling a good half of what was left. A small proud and pleased smile broke her face.

"Come on babe! Don't be like that, I’ll help you get dry." He lunged for her skirt to pull it down and she smacked him flat across the face with her hand, his drunken disorientation adding to her strength pushed him over and out of his chair.

"Keep your hands to yourself Boy." The blond growled, turning on her heel and walking from the loud room and into the cold. 

Her breath misted in front of her as she rubbed her arms for warmth, crossing to her house and grabbing a thicker jumper then decided to go for a walk. She pulled her cloak around her shoulders, picking up a torch and lighting it with the flint beside the door as she grabbed her axe and stalked out of the house into the surrounding trees.

"Lousy-good-for-nothing-Snotlout thinking he can own me. I don't want that at all I..." Astrid’s grumbling was cut off by a loud giggle and a couple of grunts.

"God you weren't joking about your rough hands Man." She heard her best friends voice float over from behind a couple of thick bushes so she simply threw a stone in the direction it came, earning her a sudden shriek, before carrying on. "Damn-Ruff-and-whoever-else-dares-disturb-my-nice-evenings-walk." All her words strung together as she walked, pulling her fur lined hood up around her face. As she walked she took her well-loved axe from her side and swung it into a few trees, taking out trunks of the ones she wanted to practice on in the day light. Big strong sturdy things that would last a good few slices.

There hadn't been a dragon attack in a couple of years but they were always on the lookout and still training with the few old, battered dragons they'd always had. Sometimes it felt silly, training to protect from a seemingly empty threat, but maybe it was just something to distract herself with so she didn't have to find a man. She growled and jumped on a small fallen branch, snapping it in half imagining it was any man who ever tried to touch hers’ arm. 

Then she noticed the fire, and the sudden moment up ahead. Raising her axe, she stepped forward in a defensive crouch and then jumped out in front of a beast...No it was a man. A guilty, scared looking man. Not much older than her by the looks of it. She stood tall and then walked to the other side of the fire to him, enjoying the heat. His eyes were wide, most of the iris covered in a thick black circle, the fire dancing in the glassiness of them and warming his pale, smooth skin. A small amount of stubble grew under his sharp jaw, hair messy and loose, and a small scar ran across one side of his chin. He wore a thick, leathery looking armour under a heavy fur, making his shoulders look broad and his hips look skinny resting atop thick muscled legs encased in tight black leather. At this moment in time he was simply staring, as if afraid she would attack if he moved. Smart man.

"You're not from here." She stated. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, and his shoulders bounced as if he was having some strong internal struggle.

"I guess not." He finally settled on, trying not to give too much away. For some reason his voice made her lower her axe.

"Why are you here?" She questioned, leaning her weight on one foot, popping her hip to the side. She watched his eyes scan her body movement and for the first time felt... Nervous...about what he thought. Shaking her head, she pulled the cloak closer around her, suddenly feeling the need to hide.

"Here" The boy lifted a fur from the pile on the floor and handed it to her around the fire, obviously thinking she was cold. "Sit if you like, I’m just as cold as you." He gave up and sat back down in the remaining furs, wrapping himself in the one around his shoulders. Every inch of her body told her not to but she sat anyway, heaving the fur, much heavier than the ones she usually had, over her lap and under her legs to keep her bottom from the ground.

"Thanks. Now why?" She looked down at the fish he was cooking, her mouth salivating as she remembered she hadn't eaten all day. His eyes watched hers as he handed her a stick, containing the latest and least burnt fish. He had after all picked up his mother’s bad cooking habits. Waiting until she took it to talk.

"Looking for a new home, I got bored where I was I suppose so I went travelling." He shrugged, wondering how much he could trust her. "My, err, boat crashed just behind the island." He looked away, terrible at lying as always. 

"Oh, well you're not too far from Berk, but everyone will be drunk by now, last catch of the year before frosts set in happened today." She bit into the slightly charred fish but was glad of the food all the same as she watched him do the same. His face seemed to drop slightly.

"Maybe I’ll find you tomorrow and talk to the Chief, see if he wants me." He huffed sadly. Astrid tilted her head to the side. 

"Any reason he wouldn't want you?" She questioned, inhaling the scent of him on the fur as she pulled it closer to herself. For some reason it excited her and calmed her at the same time.

"Not really." His voice was quiet as he picked at the skin of his fish, seemingly lost in thought. Astrid decided he wasn't a threat.

"I'm Astrid." She tried, and his lips pulled back in an almost winning smile. It was downright adorable. Get a hold of yourself girl. The young woman scolded herself. 

"I'm Hi...Hicc." Hicc looked like he was going to say more but stopped himself just in case she remembered his name as he did hers. From what he could remember she had been a feisty little blond thing when he was little, but a year or so younger than him, so there was a chance she had no idea who he was.

"Well, I think your parents were very lazy to give you half a name." She joked, pulling a pained smile from him, and guiltier looks. "Sorry, sore nerve?" She offered, looking apologetic. He was just sorry for not telling her more.

"What do you do on Berk Young Astrid? He pulled a canteen from inside his furs, taking a swig then offering it to her to wash down the fish. She took it, trying to ignore when their fingers brushed.

Get a grip Astrid. 

"I am a dragon killer in training." She announced proudly. His face almost contorted into a wince. "And a general hand, the women are made to cook ready for winter, or darn socks and make clothes for the men." She shrugged then inched closer to him so she didn't have to be as loud. He looked slightly sceptical but didn't move.

"You look more like you'd kill the man who asked you to 'darn his socks'." He informed her, raising his arm so she could slide closer and under his heavy furs, once she was under he pulled his arm back though so he wasn't touching her. He assumed she was just cold. That she was and she was more than grateful for his added warmth and took all her self-restraint not to snuggle against his side. He smelt wild and fresh and inviting, and free of alcohol which was always a plus side. What the Hel was wrong with her today?

"Eh, I usually would but I think the elder women would kill me if I did." She shrugged, laughing gently under her breath. He smiled at the information that there were elders there. Maybe they would know who he was, even if his dad didn't. 

"What about you?" She asked him, poking his ribs playfully. He rubbed the spot as if she'd hurt him but laughed with her.

"I'm a handyman I suppose. I work with wood and metal. Physical stuff rather than cotton or thread." He smiled at her and was suddenly stricken by how blue her eyes were, recognising them to match a small green nadder back home and was suddenly struck by a stroke of home sickness.

"You'll be well needed back home." She smiled at him then noticed his face drop, she rested her hand on his arm, noting the cool leather wrist bindings there. "Miss home?" 

"Yeah." He blinked back shock as she hit the nail on the head.

"You'll fit in Hicc." She smiled and left her hand on his wrist in comfort, darting just under his cuff.


	5. chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing the whole thing

"Hey, Astrid? Do you think they will like me?" Hicc asked nervously, his hand slowly rubbing his arm absent-mindedly and running his fingers over hers, not realising what he was doing. She let out a soft sigh, her cheeks warming and he noticed, so he left his fingers over hers.

"I don't see why they wouldn't. You seem nice to me." She replied quietly, knowing just how quick her best friend was going to try and jump him when he entered the village. He smiled down at her and she couldn't help but return it. He was truly adorable. 

"The suns coming up." Hicc pointed out, sliding his fingers to rest between hers. He had grown up with dragon mostly but he did often go to towns and harbours, so he had a little knowledge of how human interaction worked with non-family members. But he hoped he wasn't crossing any lines he shouldn't. She just looked down at their interlinked fingers and smiled to herself so he guessed he was ok.

"Yeah. I should probably be heading back." She sighed sadly. "I'll come find you tomorrow? Today I mean, around mid-day?" She didn't want to leave him but the men were not sociable when they were drunk, and her Father would soon realise she was missing.

"Yeah, I’ll be here." Hiccup smiled at her, standing and helping her to her feet, keeping a hold of her fingers whilst he could to keep them warm. "Keep it." He told her as she started to shrugged out of the warm furs. "I have plenty." 

"What if my Mother sees? We don't have furs like this." She raised a shoulder sadly, inhaling his scent and warmth.

"It's a gift, say one of the boat men gave it to you or something, I’ll collect it tomorrow, I don't want you cold Astrid." He raised her hand to his lips and laid a small kiss there. In the small amount of time he'd known her, he had grown quite fond of her company. It wouldn't do to have her freezing. A deep blush rose to her pale cheeks as his lips left her skin. 

"Ok, I think that works." She bought her other hand up to play with her braid, a nervous habit he vaguely recognised from when they were little and it made him smile, something in her kind of recognised that from somewhere.

"Good, I shall see you in the light of a bright day m'lady." He bowed low, swiping his arm under him and smiling up at her, causing her to giggle like a maiden, and her hand flew to her mouth to hide the sound, thoroughly embarrassed she blushed three shade darker.

"I shall aim to hear that every time we meet." He vowed and she punched his arm playfully, not really knowing what to do with herself. No one made Astrid, the warrior maiden, dragon killer, little band of village miss-fits leader Astrid, giggle. But his wide smile was infectious.

"I fear that may be the only time I make that noise my entire life." She informed him, trying to look imposing, but he was easily a head and a half taller and simply raised one eyebrow. So she stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to laugh with her.

"I shall endeavour to change that m'lady." He bought a hand to her cheek and caressed the rosy cheeks gently with the back of his first finger after removing his glove. "Be safe young Astrid." 

She leaned into his touch, enjoying the warmth and tingles from his skin. "I shall be if you are, there are likely dragons in these woods." He looked sceptical but kept quiet so she turned, walking to the trees, not turning around till she thought she was out of sight, only to notice he hadn't looked away from her.

 

She had crept into her bedroom via her window, avoiding her parents that were snoring loudly downstairs in their room, and settled onto the side of her bed. In comparison his furs were far more expensive than her own hand-me-downs had ever been. Her bedding looked simply pathetic next to the softness of his, she stopped to wonder what the animal was, she'd never seen anything like it, but then again she had rarely left Berk. She laid them out under her own, removing her bindings and clothes before slipping into a soft night gown her mother made her, she cocooned herself in his furs, surrounding herself in warmth she wasn't accustomed to in the cold winter months.

 

"I know Bud." Hiccup assured his dragon, stroking his scales in the way he knew the beast liked. "Bud I knew her, I don't think there will be any trouble, give me five days, if I don't come back then you can come find me in the dead of night ok?" Toothless didn't look impressed despite the fuss being made of him and the two rolled their eyes at each other. 

Hiccup looked to the sky, she should have been here by now. He hoped she wasn't in trouble over the fur. He chewed his nails, pacing left and right around the long died fire then decided to check his belongings. A small bundle of fish and bread he'd bought with him, his furs, sword, knives and a couple of tunics in case something happened to his current one, paper and pencils to map or message his mother, whichever came first he supposed. He repeated his process three time until he heard the crack of sticks. Toothless scurried up into a tree just as she emerged, his tail only just missing her line of sight. 

"Good afternoon m'lady." He greeted, smiling at her.

"Good afternoon Hicc, I’m sorry I’m late, I over slept then had chores to do that I couldn't escape. I actually have to gather some firewood; could you give me a hand?" She asked sheepishly.

"Of course, you can say you found me lost in the woods and decided to keep me as a pet puppy." He joked, grabbing his saddlebags and hooking them over one shoulder.

"Thanks, I suppose we should do the trees I found last night." Astrid smiled as he came level to her and then turned to guide him to the trees she marked the night before.

"Don't look like they want to eat you Hicc. You'll be fine." Astrid tried to calm him down. He was tense. Much too tense and it was making her nervous.

"I just don't really know what to expect I guess." He tried to shrug then almost dropped the pile of logs he was carrying. Astrid held in a laugh.

"Vikings." She announced as they came from the trees and into the winding group of houses on the outskirts of town. 

The people were big, both in height and width, a common trait he'd noticed Vikings in other towns had, but there was something eerie about being here as a stranger. He recognised things, like where the forge was, the Mead hall was still standing, a couple of smaller houses to the side, none looked like that family home he remembered being to the right of the hall though. Maybe he was too hopeful. Maybe the Chief was dread. Hiccup tried not to let the disappointment show as they walked down the other side of the town square to Astrid’s family home. In one expert move she opened the door with her knee, arms still full of the heavy wood.

"MAMMA!" She called, dropping the pile and stacking them in neat little triangles next to the fire. She then took the spare from the boy and did the same with that. Her mother walked in just as she stood, brushing her hands off on her knees. 

"Astrid, what is this?" Her Mother was trying to be stern, but was far too confused as to why her daughter, who was interested in no-one, had bought a wild boy to her home.

"I found him in the woods, his boat crashed the far side of the island and he needs somewhere to stay while he works out what to do, I wanted to take him to see the Chief then see if the Inn will take him." She lied. She didn't know she was lying but she was.

"Hmm, Wild boy do you have a name?" Her Mother addressed Hiccup, her eyes scrutinising his armour and scruffy appearance.

"I go by Hicc Ma'am." He nodded his head down in respect. She made a low humming noise and nodded back at him. 

"Ok Hicc, Astrid take him to the Chief, see what he says." The woman decided that any interest in a man was a good thing for her daughter and decided not to interfere too much.

"Thank you Mama, see you later." She kissed her mother on the cheek and Hiccup nodded again before following her out of the house. 

"See?" She punched his arm. "They aren’t too bad."

"Yeah, but she was your mother, she wasn't about to embarrass you in front of me, that would be nasty." He reasoned and she bit her lip in thought.

"I suppose, but only one way to find out."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> updating the whole thing

"Who are you?" A huge man towered over the two teens. His beard was long and unruly, much like the hair jammed under a helmet. His nose was the main feature of his face but his voice seemed to shake the room around them. And to top it all off his beady eyes were trained on Hiccup like he was seeing a ghost.

"This is Hicc, I found him in the woods chopping this morning." Astrid announced, standing slightly in front of the boy, and once again Stoik The Vast ran his eyes over the kid. He looked too much like his dead son. He didn't like it and so he didn't like the intruder.

"A boat ships out in a week, I can get you passage on that." And with that the man waved them from the hall. The pain was evident on Hiccups face as he turned around after letting out a small thanks. 

His mother had warned him.

"Hey, Hicc? Wait up!" Astrid ran after him, grabbing his wrist. Biting his lip to stop tears Hiccup shook his head.

"I'm just going to take a walk. I'll see you soon, thanks for trying m'lady." He tried to smile and she saw straight through it.

"Can I come?" She hinted but he shook his head.

"I'd rather be alone, I’ll come meet you and help you with your chores tomorrow if you like? You've helped me I should return the favour." He tried to compromise but he was struggling to keep his voice level. 

She had been right and now it just hurt.

"Ok Hicc...But be safe." She told him, well aware they were in the town centre in daylight he simply nodded.

"Good evening m'lady." And with that he walked into the woods.

 

Stoik paced. He did that when something was on his mind. Gobber was sat carving a new tankard arm after the previous day’s festivities destroyed his last.

"He looks so much like I hoped Hiccup would Gobber." The Chief mused for the fifth time and the counterpart blew wood shavings from the stump he was working. "Why does he have to look like that? He had the EXACT same broken expression of Val. EXACTLY. That shouldn't, couldn't be my Hiccup could it?" The Chief was circling this right hand man now.

"Ye could have jus' asked his full name Stoik." He pointed out, huffing each time the large man blocked his light.

"But Astrid met him, surely she would have realised?" He threw his arms out, nearly sending a flower arrangement flying.

"They were little; she probably doesn't even associate the two." Gobber gave up on the carving and decided he needed a drink instead.

This seemed to stop the Chief. Then he left the Hall without another word.

 

He wasn't back. A loud pound on the door at 10 was all that it took for her to know when the Chief entered. Her parents were out and drunk again for someone's birthday that she hadn't wished to join and she was the only one in the house. So she was charged with finding the boy.

So that’s how she ended up traipsing through the trees. Again.

"Bud, don't look at me like that." She heard him before she saw him, and he sounded destroyed. But he was talking to someone so she kept out of sight and listened.

"He didn't even stop to think about anything or let me speak." The sound of something large shifting made her peak but she couldn't see anything. A soft warbling sound echoed gently. "Mam warned me." He put on a higher voice as if impersonating someone. "Don't go Hiccup, yer better off without him. Berk is no place for the likes of us." There was another, slightly amused sounding noise. "Yer better off goin' west, find yer'self a nice girl, one not hel bent on killing dragons." Deep growl. "Ye have survived this long without a father, Ye can deal with it and be a better one. Stoik was a good man once, but he's been hardened." Hicc broke roll and the growling was a matching sigh. "Maybe she was right. He clearly doesn't want me, and if Astrid doesn't recognise me I guess no one else will really." A low purr erupted that to Astrids killer ears sounded like a growl. She slowly moved from her hiding place to get a look and froze.   
Hicc was stroking a Gods damned night fury. "Guess I don't need here hey? Just you and me Bud, well go for a nice long fly tomorrow night then head somewhere you're safe and where it doesn't matter who I am." The fury let out a questioning noise and the boy laughed. Laughed. Astrid was so damn confused and scared and dumbfounded all at the same time. "I told Astrid I’d help her. I know I know, but she was my friend once and I’d rather not leave her on bad terms, she has been nice to me." The dragon replied with a sarcastic eye roll and a mumbling noise. 

Then Astrid dropped her Axe. The two jumped up in unison and Hiccup bought a sword less hilt out of his belt, the two moving in sync.

Then they spotted her and panic filled Hiccup. Panic and dread.

"Ni....Night fury." Astrid pointed at the scaly black beast stood to the side of the boy. He hooked his handle into his belt again.

"Yes, Toothless meet Astrid, Astrid, Toothless. Play nice." He seemed to add the end for both of them.

"Why aren’t we dead?" She breathed, frozen to the spot. Hicc rested a hand on top of the reptile’s head, who in turn sat down on his hunches, teeth still bared to her but with less threat.

"Toothless isn't a killer, no dragon truly is." He tried calmly. 

"Yes they are. They are mindless killers." She shook with fear, not taking her eyes from the dragon.

"If that were so would I be talking to you?" He tried, stepping closer to her and the dragon stayed put, his eyes sharpening with each step away his rider took.  
"A dragon killed the Chiefs Wife and child. They are killers." She dared to look at Hicc and saw him smirking awkwardly. "What?"

"No, they didn't." He shrugged.

"Yes they did, thirteen and seventeen years ago they were..."

"Hiccup. Hicc is short for Hiccup." He cut her off, cupping her face so she would look at him, she was suddenly stuck by his bright green eyes, flickering in the fire. "They are not killers. And I am not dead, But Toothless found a lost boy and took him back to his Mother. He didn't know he was doing wrong. That's why I came back. But Mother wouldn't let me till I was 18. She didn't want me here. And I think I understand why." He sighed, looking away and walking over to the fire, turning the fish cooking there. She stood rooted to the spot.

"Where is he?" Toothless stuck his head out from a ball he was wrapped up in, looking very unimpressed. His Pet clearly didn't know how to mate and he was frankly sick of it. 

"He won't hurt you unless you hurt him, or me, so you are safe." Hiccup tapped the log he was sat on, offering her food. She edged slowly around the dragon then sat close to the boy, taking the fish on impulse.

"He? He's a pet?" She looked at him like he was insane. Hiccups smile was breath-taking.

"He's my best friend. He took me to my Mother, too a life beyond the small isle of Berk, to freedom." His smile faltered. "It's clear my Dad doesn't care who I am." He looked away clenching his fists. She let that all sink in, quietly eating her fish, until he got up and put a skin over her shoulders, he pulled a cloak on of what looked like dragon scales, but on closer inspection was a thin link chain-mail and fur lining. She couldn't help watch the grace in which he moved, pulling the fur closer as he started pulling things about then retrieved 2 small parchments, wrapped and sealed with wax. 

"Here, this is for you and this is for my Dad if he asks." He handed both letters to the girl then called toothless. "I'm sorry I couldn't do what I had wished." He'd written the two letters last night, using the wax from the Inn he was assigned fleetingly as a seal.

"Hiccup" His full name stopped him pulling Toothless’s saddle out from the branches. "Your dad asked me to come find you. At least come see him." He turned to her, disbelief clear in his eyes. "He thought you were dead Hiccup, heck everyone did, I hadn't made the connection." 

"But we were only young, I didn't expect you to notice me." He walked over to her, his hand stroking her soft cheek.

"Did you recognise me?" She asked in a small voice, her bright blue eyes scanning his face as a small smile played across his lips. 

"Yes, you have the same demeanour about you now as you used to. You demand attention, your hair has got longer and softer, but your eyes never changed." He blushed gently. "I used to watch you from my window when I was locked in the house." He looked away but her hand caught his wrist before he could drop it from her face.

"It's your eyes that I thought I knew, but I didn't think to look further into it." She smiled sadly but raised her hand to rest against his cheek. "Come back with me. Talk to Stoik. Maybe he knows who you are." His face fell, a thumb dragging over the corner of her lips.

"I have to disagree with you m'lady. I don't think he wants to know who I am; I think he wants to make sure I don't hurt you." He had noticed the way the Chief had looked at her. He expected something of her.

"No, I think he misses his family." Astrid told him, running her hands down his arms before taking the impulse and radiating heat of his cloak and stepping forward, wrapping her arms around him under the soft material and pressing her face to his chest. His arms wrapped around her, holding the sides of the cloak at the same time to bring the warmth completely. A pleasant shiver ran through both of them as they hugged, him resting his head a top hers, her face pressed against his chest, armour-less, and he laid a small kiss on top of her hair.

"Thank you for listening." Hiccup whispered against the side of her face, his breath tickling her heated cheeks, his arms tightening around her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing the whole thing

"You summoned me Chief Stoik." Hiccup announced his own arrival, stood tall, full flight suit under his heavy cloak, hair tidied to the best of Astrid’s abilities, and a stony face that could rival even Stoik’s own personal scowl. She had to admit.   
She liked this Hiccup.

He turned from his chair by the fire, taking his time to look at the young man in front of him. He even sounded like her, but the copper in his hair in the morning light was clearly Stoik’s own blood. The boy had his mother’s lean figure and big eyes, but he stood like a rightful Chief. He demanded the room in a way Stoik himself knew well, with a hint of his wife's short temper and wit. 

Yes. He had been right. 

"Hiccup?" He tested the name on his tongue, having not talked about his son properly in to long it felt wrong almost. 

"Yes." His voice gave nothing away.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third?" He stood up, approaching in the small space slowly.

"Yes." The boy came just short of himself when stood next to each other. Stoik just stood looking his long lost son over.

"I thought you dead." The great mass of a man encased the boy in his arms, holding him tighter than he had held onto anything in his life. After a second or two Hiccup returned the hug. Tears where freely running down Stoik’s face and Astrid had to turn away from her spot in the doorway.

"I wanted to come back. I promise I did Dad." Hiccups voice was laced with tears.

"It's Ok Son. You're here now." He returned, pulling back to wipe away his tears. "That’s all that matters."

"Thank you." Hiccup replied then turned to Astrid to pull her from her hiding place. "Thank you Astrid, I was ready to leave." He hugged her gently, not wanting to displease his father but the man simply hugged them both. 

"Thank you for finding my Son." He whispered into her hair. She simply smiled at both of them.

"I think I shall take my leave; I am probably being missed at home." She'd left a note but all the same the sun was coming up. She went to give him back the fur but he wrapped it around her shoulders gently, placing it just above the floor before folding it along that line and smiling at her. 

"I shall see you in the day m'lady." He smiled, a mischievous smile on his lips.

 

"So Son. Astrid?" His Father was drinking some sweet mead whilst his son was drinking water, making precise folds and cuts and threading a thick soft rope through them. He tightened it and tested the size against his own neck, knotting them when he was satisfied.

"Yeah, she found me." He was concentrating on not ruining the fur as he pulled a couple of replacement clasps from his bag. "Would I be allowed in the forge?" He asked. he wanted to add something 'Hiccupy' as his Mother calls it, to the cloak.

"I don't see why not." His Father replied, watching the way he was so used to working with fiddly things. A finesmith maybe. Gobber was good at smithery, but by the looks of it Hiccup was used to working in much finer and prettier metals. "What is it you want to do?" 

"I want to make these more ornate." He lifted the plain clasps for his father to see. "I want to thank Astrid and they are not nearly enough for her."

"Ye sound as smitten with her as the day ye were taken boy." His father teased, handing the clasps back and Hiccup blushed, "Aye, she's grown into quite a pretty young woman, once you get past the lack of sewing skills and foul mouth for a woman." Stoik laughed remembering her teaching the next generation of children to fight the fires on Berk. Not that they had had any real practice. Stoik was still confused at that.

"Yes she has, through all my travels no one has rivalled her, even from when I was five." Hiccup admitted, taking out his pouch of found jewels. They came in handy for money, and they had a few dragons at home that liked shiny things so they had plenty for supplies and pretty things. His Mother had many hand made things encrusted with them, including jewellery, gauntlets and goblets. Hiccup liked shiny too.

"Ah Son, you are the only person she has seemed to take interest in her whole life. Her mother came to me slightly concerned about it." He laughed, taking a drink to cover how his eyes widened at the jewels. Hiccup laughed, remembering her mother’s face the day he met her and turned the colours until he decided on two matching ice blue gems, to match her eyes. The fur itself was soft soaked grey wolfs fur backed onto leather, the same as his was but without the chain mail. 

"That is a mighty fine looking cloak my Son." Stoik commented, reaching out to touch the fabrics.

"I found the furs in a market, it was so beautiful I bought the entire woman's supply of it, all my furs are made of it, warm and dry. It's expensive but Mother loved it as much as I, so I made her a beautiful cloak, trimmed the edges with black fur as hers was brown, then made three matching sets of clasps, with each different colour jewel and it has sleeves. One of the favourite things I’ve made." A smiled slipped on the corners of his lips and Stoiks heart leapt. 

"Your Mother lives?" He breathed, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

"Yes, but she knows not of me being here, though I suspect she'll work it out. I promised I wouldn't come till I was 18." Hiccup shrugged. Stoiks face fell. His wife could have come home, at any point, and she didn't. He tried not to show his upset though. His boy came home at least.

 

A firm knock on the door distracted Astrid from her hanging of the washing. Her father and mother were at their respective day jobs and she was alone so she curiously looked out the door before opening it once she saw Hiccup stood there.

"Good morning Hiccup." She smiled wide as he walked in.

"Good morning m'lady. Is anyone home?" He asked, looking around their small house. 

"Nope, just me. Why you here?" She went back to the washing but his hand caught hers and he pulled her back. 

"I have a gift to say thank you." He drew out the cloak, the ornate clasps finished only an hour ago, all winding dripped iron as they had no silver, the jewels perfectly encased around the edge and crossed thinly over the top of each gem. He was proud to say the least. And it had been nice to talk to someone who understood a forge as he worked alongside Gobber. She gasped, her eyes going wide at the sight of it. He'd decided to cut sleeves into it at about an hour after he stared and the cuffs and edges were flipped back to show the fur on the outside. 

"Hicc...I…I can't take this. This has got to be worth more than my entire inheritance." She ran her fingers over the clasps whilst he still held it folded in his hands.

"Nonsense. I made it for you, no one else is to have it." He let the fabric drop so that he held the shoulders and he helped her dazed into the warmth. He then came to the front of her and did up both sets of clasps. "I can alter it if you think it’s big but I was anticipating you having armour and stuff under it, I know mine dwarfs me when I have none on." He was babbling as she looked down at herself. She looked stunning as always but he liked her wearing his things. The sight of her looking at the jewels made him vow to shower her in them. She deserved it. Even if she was a dragon killer. She was trained to do that; she could be trained to work with them. She hadn't tried to hurt Toothless after all.   
"I can't have m'lady getting cold now can I?" He smiled as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his body, sending them both backwards into a wall.

"Thank you Hiccup, this is, gorgeous." She looked at it in disbelief and then kissed his cheek in thanks before resting her head against his chest. He smiled and held her closer. 

"And only for you." Hiccup pulled back slightly so she would look at him. "And you look beautiful in it." He lent forward and kissed her forehead. She blushed deeply and buried her face into his chest again. He pulled her hood up so she could hide the flame in her cheeks and laughed gently, the sound reverberating through her body against his. "Now, I am your help today. What is first on the list?" He snuck his nose under her hood so she could hear the words he spoke. He felt her boy shiver and he tightened his arms around her.

"Well I was hanging washing, you could clean the pans?" She offered, looking up at him under her big hood. "I feel like I’m in a bed I’m so toasty." She giggled then hid her mouth again as his smile split his face in two.

"I told you I would get that sound again m'lady." He teased and then unclasped his own thick cloak, resting it over the back of a chair. Then offered to help her from hers, which she reluctantly did knowing she would get the fur wet if she didn't. She suddenly felt cold again and shivered. He shucked off the thicker of his two tunics and handed it to her.

"I'd love to, but I doubt Father would approve of that." She smiled, then ran upstairs as he put it back on. She came back in a thicker dress as he warmed the pot to wash in over the fire.

"What did your father say last night?" She asked, going back to her task as he scrubbed.

"He just talked about here and what happened, all happy and jolly. Was jealous of your cloak I think, he asked about that then Mother came into conversation and it went a bit..."He paused. “Downhill?" He sighed. 

"She's alive?" Astrid enquired, hanging the last of the socks and grabbing a towel to dry the plates and mugs.

"Yeah, but she didn't want me to come. I think Dad thought she'd want to come back." He shrugged, finishing up and using her towel to dry his hands. He lent back against the table and watch her move around her home, putting things away and tiding in general.

"Why not? Does she not miss him? Here?" She stopped and looked up at him, a soft smile playing on her lips at the sight of him in her kitchen.

"Being a dragon sympathizer never got her many friends really, and Stoik wasn't the most supportive husband about her feelings. She was a bit of a laughing stock; What Viking wouldn't kill a dragon? But she didn't, and Cloudjumper knew that when he saw her so he took her with him. She belonged with them. I'm not sure I don't either but it thought I’d give humanity a go I guess." Hiccup smiled, moving her braid to sit over her shoulder so her could massage between the sharp plains of her back. She tried and failed to hold in a moan that sent a shot of electric down his body.

"Ah, wanted to check we weren't really the monsters?" She teased, looking over at him. He worked the three knots between her shoulders out then laid a small kiss on the left one.

"Well Mum paints Berk like a horror, constant fighting and blood shed, but it appears we were right about the nest." He murmured, wrapping his arm around her waist because she leaned against him and it was comfortable.

"The nest?" She looked over at him.

"Yeah, the dragons were under the control of a Queen, which was controlling them to gather food and things for her, we destroyed the nest and took out the Queen and you have had no more raids. After years Mum was right about that one." Hiccup rolled his eyes, resting his chin on her shoulder. "That really got Dad annoyed. The fact that his wife and son had done something in three weeks he'd spent his entire life trying to accomplish." 

"Hmmm, so we have you to thank for that then?" She turned in his arms to face him, pulling at the strings on his tunic playfully.

"Eh, possibly." He played back, fiddling with her braid as it fell behind her.

"Well then my saviour..." She leaned up and pressed her lips gently to his.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing the whole thing.

Hiccup had a stupidly goofy smile on his face the whole time they were chopping wood and the way home. As did Astrid. She was happy after all. Until the Terror dropped onto her windowsill. 

"HiCCUP!" Her shout got louder as she realised her axe was downstairs. She heard him running up the stairs.

"What?" He called as he entered her, room, scanning for any signs of danger. She was stood opposite the window, staring at the little green dragon. "Hello Tinzle." He called to the dragon and it chirped at him, flying to rest on his offered arm. She simply stood there frozen watching him. "You got a message for me little one?" Hiccup scratched under the dragons chin and pulled the parchment from the little bag on his leg.

"Hiccup." Astrid’s tone was warning as she took a defensive stance. "Hold still or he'll attack."

"Naa, Tinzle is my messenger, he has no teeth, he was attacked by trappers a few years ago." Hiccup didn't appear to grasp the situation. 

"It has fire." She reminded him, and then he noticed how tense she was and shook his head as the beast curled up over his shoulders.

"Dragons aren’t like that. You met Toothless, that dreaded nighfury is a damn lap cat, Tinzle will not hurt you unless you hurt him." He informed her, offering her his hand. "Come say hello."

"Nu uh, No way you're mad." She shook her head and backed up against the wall, eyes wide. He simply rolled his eyes and unrolled the letter. His left hand reached up to scratch the dragons hide absent-mindedly as he read. 

"Hmmm." He mumbled as he finished.

"What is it?" Astrid still had not moved and he walked over to her, effectively cornering her. "Hiccup." She warned.

"Mother has found a couple of trappers catching big dragons, and she thinks one has one of my more favoured pets. She wants me to meet her and take them down." He told her, handing her the parchment. She shook her head and the dragon tilted his head to the side comically.

"I can't read." She admitted, embarrassed. Then swallowed. The little beast was pulling at Hiccups hair with its lips and it was quite cute. 

"I know little one, Bourge men are ass holes. I miss it too." He stroked the animal. "Why can't you read?"

"I'm a woman, not Chief material and I never bothered going to learn. I was more interested in killing than reading about it." She shrugged and the little thing stretched its head out to her. "Hicc." 

"He won't hurt you Astrid. Do you have a pencil?" Hiccup turned and the dragon kept his head still so Hiccup ended up head butting it. "Hey! I know she's pretty but you don't get to stare!" He scolded the dragon playfully, tugging on the beasts tail and laughing affectionately as he walked to her door, shutting it as she retrieved a pencil from her bedside. 

"Why did you close it?" She was well aware of how inappropriate that was. 

"So no one walks in and sees him, or he gets out for a wonder." He took the pencil and sat on her bed, scribbling a reply to his mother about meeting and getting in to the action tonight.

"Oh." She stood by his side and the dragon seemed to stretch to her again.

"He wants you to say hello to him." Hiccup chewed on the end of the pencil then looked up at her, smiling in a way that hinted he felt sorry for her. Dragons were amazing once you gave up the fear.

"He is a dragon."

"You're a human, he isn't afraid and he barely reaches your knee." He retorted, setting her with a steely glare, a little bit sick of her not trusting his pets.

"But." She stopped and sighed, then lifted a shaking hand. The dragon made a chirpy noise and stood up on his owners shoulders so she didn't have to reach as far. 

"It's ok Astrid, he is just interested." Hiccup said softly, putting the stuff to the side to watch her. She nodded to herself as she stopped just short of touching the shiny green scales. The Terror decided he was bored of waiting and rose himself to meet the warm human hand, moving so he rubbed himself and she didn't have to do the hard work. A loud gasp left her lips along with a small shriek. 

"He isn't, cold." She whispered, watching the little dragon move then gained the control of her hand again, running it a long his scales. They were softer than she anticipated, and the dragon purred gently. Hiccup was smiling proudly.

"See? Told you he wasn't so bad." He laughed. The beast looked at Hiccup, licking his cheek before flying up to land on Astrid’s shoulder. She froze and her eyes went wide. "Hey! you were keeping me warm!" The dragon stuck its tongue out at him then settled his head on top of her own. 

"What is it doing?" She asked quietly, not wanting to spook it. 

"Using you to sit on?" Hiccup twisted his head in a way that informed her she was being stupid. He then rolled up the parchment then slipped it into the dragons pouch and it jumped down onto his arm again. "Say goodbye." The dragon tilted its head to the side and lifted a paw to shake at her. Astrid couldn't help laugh. Hiccup had trained his dragon to be a dog. She reached out and stroked its head once more before Hiccup sent it back out her window.

"Thank you." She whispered as he turned back around, a huge smile on his face as he crossed the room to envelop her in a hug. 

"I'm so proud of that. Maybe there is hope." He pulled back and gently kissed her cheek. "Tinzle is a cutie, Mother has a real soft spot for him."

"Hope?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Of making Berk a safe place for Mother and the dragons and I." He replied, leading her downstairs before her parents came home.

"Hmmm, I’m one person, and there is no way I’m going near the big ones. That thing was small." She raised an eyebrow as he started to throw some vegetables into a pot, chopping them as he went. He pulled things out of his bag to add, different leaves and a couple of pieces of meat and chucked them in as well. Then he added some water and put it all over the fire. He was cooking her family dinner. She had just stroked a dragon and now she couldn't believe he had been here all day. She shook her head in disbelief as her Dad walked into the house. 

"Who are you?" The big man drew to his full height as he noticed the short haired boy in his kitchen. 

"Hiccup, Sir. I've been helping your daughter today." Hiccup replied with a confidence that only seemed to come out when intimidating men talked to him.

"Oh? You have have you?" Her dad took a threatening step forward, drawing his sword. 

"Dad! He has, you were at the meeting you know Hiccup is back!" There had been a discussion with the council and she had known the topic of Hiccup was one they were discussing today. 

"Hmmm, I’m not so sure." He then caught a whiff of the cooking food, the smell a lot richer than his family were used to eating, and stopped short. His daughter couldn't cook. This boy had made dinner. He narrowed his eyes just as his wife walked in to the house.

"What's that smell? OH! Hello Hiccup." The woman smiled at him fondly. She had talked to the Chief and he had talked about their children. She was confident the Chief knew his own son. 

"Good evening Mrs Hofferson, I had some food from my travels so I thought I’d make you dinner, you're a little earlier than I expected, it will need a while longer to cook but it saves you the work." He answered easily. He had decided he liked the woman because she hadn't tried to kick him out of her house before.

"Oh! Thank you Hiccup, how thoughtful." She kept smiling then noticed the cloaks on the chairs. "Wow, these are a piece of work!" She lifted Hiccups first, inspecting the clasps and her eyes widened just a bit as she recognised the red rubies set into them, her fingers brushing the fur and then the chain mail. Her husband ran his hand over the mail with an approving nod. 

"Thank you Ma'am. I like making things I guess." He shrugged, smiling at Astrid as she picked up hers. 

"What gorgeous colours, and such lovely material! Must be warm." She mused, running her hands over the wolfs fur, then the blue sapphires.

"They are." Astrid replied, standing next to Hiccup. Her father gave her a warning look. "He made it for me to say thank you."

"Wow! That really wasn't necessary!" Her eyes were wide and she sent a knowing look at her husband.

"It wasn't much, I noticed she liked mine, and I had the spare fur. I have a collection at home." He scratched the back of his head nervously, feeling like he was trying to impress the woman. 

"Where did you learn the craft?" She asked, setting the cloak down then sitting and removing her shoes.

"I met a seamstress whilst travelling, since mother had about as much knowledge on sewing and cooking as a wet fish I decided to learn, my sewing is better than my cooking but it gets me by." He shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.

"You were with your mother?" Her father asked, sitting with his wife.

"Yeah, we were taken to the same place but mother chose to stay at home, she doesn't know I’m here." He lied, pulling a chair out for Astrid before standing behind it.

"You knew this was your home? Why didn't she come home?" The man’s voice had become accusing and Hiccups stance went to a protective one.

"I knew of it, not many memories and because she was happier away. Some lands are far less judgemental of dragons than here." His voice went cold and the man nodded, accepting that she was always an odd one.

"Oh dear, I guess I understand though, she always did love the pests." Her mother tried to break the palpable tension and Hiccup smiled at her again. 

"Yes, she does." He took the chair when the lady offered.

"How is she?" She asked. "Valka was a good friend."

"Good, slightly crazy but then again as far as I’m aware she's always been." He laughed with her. "But other than that comfortable, we travel a lot so we have seen some amazing places, and she jumps from job to job, but mostly she keeps to herself making things from wood and I do the metalwork to go with it. Sells the things we make and trades for things we need." 

"I'm glad she is happy. Stoik loves her but he didn't much relate to her." She told him. He nodded.

"That's what she told me. She didn't return because she would never be able to leave of her own accord. Too used to the freedom, she would go insane if she was confined here." He got up and checked the food, taking it from the heat. "Should be good to eat now. It was nice seeing you, I hope you enjoy your dinner, its deer, I don't think they are on Berk, so it'll be a difference for you." Hiccup smiled as he retrieved his cloak, draping it around his shoulders.

"You aren’t staying?" She asked the boy, standing to dish out the food. 

"No Ma'ma, I think Father wants me to eat with him, so I best be going." He bowed slightly, catching Astrid’s eye. Then he looked her Father in the eye. "Was nice meeting you Sir." 

"You too Hiccup. I hope you stick around. I've not seen your father this happy since he lost you two." He shook his hand stiffly and nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing the whole thing

Hiccup waited for it to go dark before sneaking out, full flight suit under his cloak. With the added armour the cloak was a couple of inches shorter, and he stuck to the shadows not to get caught. 

Astrid was watching from her window when the dark figure jumped down from the Chiefs house and her fingers gripped the window sill tighter. He was going to meet his Mother. What would Stoik do when he found his son missing? What if he didn't come back? She panicked and grabbed the cloak from her bed then snuck downstairs. Her parents were both in bed as she slipped into the night.

"Hey Bud." Hiccup called to the dragon who leapt over, warbling happily at his Pet. Hiccup scratched under the dragon’s chin, and the dragon licked his master happily. "Right, going to take out some ships ok?" Hiccups eyes were wide with excitement as he reached up into the branches with some help from Toothless to gather his saddle. 

"Hicc?" Astrid’s voice came from behind, making boy and dragon jump and dropping hiccup flat on his back as the dragon scurried to a safe distance. "Baby!" He yelled at the beast, standing up and rubbing his back to ease the pain. "Hello Astrid, you're out late."

"So are you." She retorted, snuggling deeper into the cloak as she looked away from his slightly annoyed gaze. 

"I have to go save some dragons. I didn't really think Dad would just let me walk out to do that." He called Toothless over who kept his distance from the girl but came anyway, shifting to let Hiccup saddle him, excitement twitching in his tail.

"Why?" She whined, not understanding.

"Because I have not been raised to let these big beautiful creatures get slaughtered for fun." He huffed, turning to look her in the eye. "They are not nasty creatures Astrid. I've met better dragons than I have men. So I’m going to save them weather you like it or not." His tone was stern, there was no shifting him on his decision. She looked at the floor, kicking a couple of leaves. 

"I always forget you didn't grow up here. You don't know the damage they did, you don't know what problems they caused. What pain..."

"I do. I remember. I found Toothless during a raid. I remember crying and hiding in the cellar to escape them, I remember being terrified when a Nightmare came near me. I also know that the Vikings caused just as much of a problem as the dragons. I killed what the problem was. You don't have a dragon problem anymore. Get over it." Hiccup threw his arms up in frustration. God Vikings were as annoying as his mother had promised. 

"You got away. You escaped. I was here the whole time. I've got scars to prove the beasts are evil." She replied, getting right in his face, the best she could anyway. "I am permanently scarred from those beasts burning our house when I was little, and getting too close in the kill ring. I have cuts and burns and.." Hiccup stopped her by shrugging out of his armour and under shirt. His Chest was completely covered in the licks of fire, bite marks, even a slight hole in one of his shoulders. He turned and she saw four deep scars from his left shoulder to his right hip. She gasped slightly.

"That one was Toothless. Two weeks after he dropped me to Mum he was playing with me and his claws went straight through my skin. I couldn't move for two weeks. I have burns from so many dragons I can't remember their names. But I do not think them evil. I know they are dangerous when under the control of bad people. But I also know how amazing and forgiving they are." Toothless reached his nose to nudge his riders hand and the boy looked down affectionately, rubbing the spot behind the dragons ears he liked so much. "Toothless is still my best friend, and I’m not about to let some bunch of savages rip his family to shreds." Hiccups gaze turned back to Astrid who was stuck with her eyes on a burn from a nightmare that rose from under the waist band of his trousers. She swallowed and nodded, dragging her eyes over his toned muscles and back to his eyes. 

"You are braver than me." She whispered, looking away. She had thought her few bites and one small scorch mark on her back were bad. She couldn't even begin to comprehend how much pain he had been in.

"I don't think so." He pulled his green tunic on and stepped up to her, wrapping his arms around her as she looked like she was about to cry. "I think you did what you thought you had to, to protect your family." He kissed the top of her head before pulling back. "Go be safe at home M'lady. You will catch a cold. Do you still have my fur?" His voice was so soft she wanted to keep a hold of him forever so she nodded.   
"Yeah, it’s under my sheets to hide from my parents. It's so warm." she kept the fact it smelt of him to herself and smiled sadly. "You really ride him?"

"Yeah, he is my partner in crime." A goofy smile came across his whole face before he lent forward again. "Keep safe whilst I’m away. I should be back by morning."

"Ok, you too. Don't get hurt." She looked up at him and he was smiling softer now, the moonlight only lighting streaks of his face through the trees.  
Hiccup slowly leaned down, pressing his hand to the small of her back as he held her hand in the other, and kissed her lips gently. They stood for a few seconds and he pulled back to look at her face. They had the same little twitch at the corner of their mouths so he kissed the little upturn before bowing down to her. 

"I must always come back to you M'lady." Then he pulled his armour back on, then cloak and helmet before swinging onto the dragon, looking like it was the most effortless thing in the world. "See you soon." Then they took to the sky with one powerful beat of Toothless’s wings.

 

"You look too happy to be saving dragons." Valka commented as Hiccup removed his mask and he blushed. "Oh, a girl then?" She smiled, running a hand through her son’s helmet hair happily. "I'm glad Tinzel was ok."

"Yeah, He made a friend too." Hiccup hugged his mother close like when he was little and she laughed. 

"Really? Well I never. Who?" She raised an eyebrow in disbelief at her boy’s antics. 

"Astrid Hofferson?" He tried, wondering if his Mother would remember her. A very clear recognition ran across her features. 

"Yes, I knew them well, the Hoffersons that is, I'm surprised her father let you near her." She joked, keeping what she knew to herself.

"He almost tried to run me through." Hiccup admitted, scratching the back of his neck and laughing nervously.

"Why? and why not?" 

"I said I had been helping Astrid, and I made them dinner so he decided if I could cook I couldn’t be that bad I think." He laughed, looking out to where the dragons were playing. Well, Toothless was trying to play, Cloudjumper was far too majestic to consider the little Nightfury anything other than a pain.

"You never were very subtle son." She mock scolded then watched as a couple of ships came over the horizon. "Right. Show time."

 

Astrid hadn't slept. She couldn't knowing Hiccup could be hurt. The sight of his scars jumped in front of her every time she closed her eyes and it made her feel uncomfortable. She knew it shouldn't have made her insides squirm in the most delicious way, but she wanted nothing more than to trace each mark with her fingers. And maybe her tongue. She groaned loudly and rolled onto her back. trying to get comfortable as the same feeling came back. 

She had heard Ruff talking about this she was sure. The feeling of wanting. But she knew that wasn't allowed until marriage. Well, she didn't want a reputation like her friend. And she didn't want a husband. She wanted to be a Shieldmaiden. She didn't need a man. But she didn't want to think about how nervous she was about Hiccup not coming back. 

He had messed with her head far too much in the short time he had been back in her life. 

But she had generally been happier too. Running her hands over the thick fur underneath her, and scanning the room in its moonlit darkness for her cloak, she reached over and grabbed it, drawing the soft side against her thinly covered body. It smelt of him. A strange woody, musky and burnt scent, no doubt from living with fire breathing dragons. It had become strangely comforting. 

And his lips were just as welcoming. It was all she could think about on the way back. They were so soft against hers, and his large hand fit perfectly in the small of her back when he pulled her closer. Closing her eyes, she thought about what it could mean. He kissed her a few times, on the hand, shoulder, head, cheek and forehead. She had kissed him on the lips, but that was brief and held none of the spark his had. He made her want to cling to him and beg for more. And she wanted to feel every one of his scars against her skin and... She shook her head to try and dismantle the thought. They were no thoughts for a lady to be having. 

A light tap on the shutters made her jump from her head space and peer up through the gap where one had come loose. A face wasn't far from the gap and she got up, pulling them open.

"Hiccup." She breathed, relief and embarrassment laced in her tone. 

"M'lady." He dropped down to her floor almost silently, armour gone and simply a thick jumper and cloak on, and she was wearing a very thin nightgown. She hurried to wrap herself in the cloak she was still holding.

"Did you succeed?" She whispered, trying to hide her deep blush. He nodded.

"Yes, freed a couple of timberjacks and a few nadders, how they caught a timberjack I will never understand but it worries me." He rubbed his cold hands together, reaching to shut the window. 

"Good?" She tried, squeezing her legs together when his eyes wandered down the shape of her outline in the cloak. 

"It was." He cleared his throat quietly then clasped his hands behind his back to keep them from reaching for her. "I just thought I’d check in. I should probably get going." He sounded awkward and displeased, like he was upset with himself for thinking this was a good idea.

"Hmmm." She sounded just as awkward and neither made a move to leave.

"I...." He started, looking her in the eye, the moonlight landing across her smooth face. "I'm sorry I got irate at you. I'm just used to how things are at home I guess."

"Hicc, I know that you live differently. I know I should trust you. But they are just...scary I guess." Astrid admitted, watching him.

"You'll get there." He smiled then gave in, stepping forward to embrace her against him, cheek pressed to her head as she snuggled against him.

"I'm glad you're safe." She murmured, yawning against his chest, cuddling closer.

"Me too." Hiccup rubbed her back through the cloak and swayed them gently from side to side, content that she was happy again.

"What time do you think it is?" She questioned sleepily, fisting her hands in his tunics.

"About three." He confirmed. "Want me to let you sleep?" He kissed the crown of her head softly.

"What about you?" She quizzed.

"I'm too pumped on adrenalin right now M'lady. I shan't sleep for a good few hours." He replied and she leaned back to look at him bleary eyed. "I've just had to fight and free dragons then fly and not be spotted on the way home. Then I snuck into your house without your or my parents knowing. I think I could go re-build the forge right now." He laughed gently. 

"That is too much for one night." Astrid shook her head. "Shoes off. Come to bed just be gone when Dad wakes. And don't snore." She commanded, shedding the cloak and slipping under the covers neatly. Hiccup hesitated then did as he was told, removing his outer layers and shoes so he was in merely his trousers and under tunic. 

"Am I allowed to remove my trousers? I have briefs on, but leather is uncomfortable to sleep in." He asked sheepishly, gesturing down. She nodded and grunted in approval before stretching out under the covers. Hiccup folded all his stuff into one pile and then climbed into bed slowly, giving her chance to tell him to stop. He was as aware as she was that him being in there was not appropriate, and that her sleepiness may have clouded her judgement. But that stopped neither of them. 

"Come 'ere." Her voice slurred as she snuggled into his arms, her face against his chest and resting on his shoulder. Hiccup smiled as he pulled her thin furs up over them, making a note to go pick up some more furs for her, and possibly her family one day. 

"Sleep well my Darling." He kissed her cheek, then her lips in a long lingering minuet when she turned her face to him. A soft moan escaped her as they parted and he couldn't stop himself kissing her again, a little harder this time as his hand slid up her side and into her braid that was falling apart. She shifted and her hand slid down to rest on his hip, pulling him closer with pressure of her fingers. Her bare leg slipped between his and it was his turn to try and strangle a moan that threatened to escape. Hiccup melted against her body, the hand in her hair sliding down to rest on the small dip of her waist before slipping down over the curve of her bottom, and around her upper thigh, lifting it over the top of his own so he could caress it with light fingertips and draw patterns on the pale skin. Her body ignited in goose bumps which set his off as her hand slid under his tunic, her fingers absent-mindedly following the nightmare burn that bled into a scratch from a nadder. 

Hiccup had always wondered what it would feel like to have someone look at and feel his scars in a way that didn't make them cringe and move away, and the feeling of Astid exploring his abdomen made his entire body shudder with pleasure. Hiccup reluctantly broke the kiss noting the growing...problem....in his underwear. Astrid let out a little moan of displeasure and pouted up at him.

"If we continue m'lady I may have to take my leave early." He blushed, kissing her nose as she worked out what he meant and blushed. She didn't want to stop, by the feel of it neither did he, but she knew that they really should. "Thank you." He whispered, kissing her once more before settling back into the bed and pulling her against him as he laid on his back.

"Good night Hiccup." She sighed, happily before sliding a hand under his tunic to rest over his rapidly beating heart as she fell into a comfortable sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing the whole thing.

Astrid awoke to the sound of Hiccup shuffling around her room. Rubbing her eyes, she cleared her voice and he looked up at her, his soft smile illuminated in the morning rays.

"Good morning M'lady." He whispered, stepping closer to her and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Good morning Hicc." She smiled, nuzzling into the hand that stroked her loose hair from her face.

"Thank you for letting me stay, but I would like to still have my head in the morning, so I’m going to escape before your father wakes." He informed her as he lent down to place a gentle kiss on her inviting lips. 

" Hmm, ok my Hiccup. Don't fall out the window." She warned then lent up to kiss him again, her fingers tight in his hair.

"Yes Darling." He promised, kissing her nose before hugging her and slipping on his cloak.

 

"Hiccup son?" Stoik called form downstairs and Hiccup woke from a quick nap, swinging himself over the side of the bed and wandering down to see what he wanted. 

"Hey Dad." He yawned, going to put the kettle on the fire. A habit, Stoik noticed, his mother and him share. A twitch in his heart tried to make its way to the surface but he refused it.

"I feel it is time to announce you as home." Stoik informed him, taking the cup of tea he was handed. Hiccup sat opposite him.

"Why?" Hiccup tilted his head to the side. "I don't think they mind particularly."

"Son, you are the rightful heir of Berk, of course they will." He mused, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh." Was his reply, eyes still down at the mug in his hand.

"What is it Son?" Stoik’s voice dropped in concern.

"Who was going to be Chief?" Hiccup asked looking up.

"Yer cousin Snotlout. But since yer home he doesn't need to be." His father puffed up like a proud dragon. Hiccup shook his head.

"Let him have it. I don't want it." Hiccup told him. "If I become Chief I’m tied here. I won't be able to go see mum, nor can I travel. I have no interest in politics. At all. Snot would do a better job."

"No." His Chiefs voice was strong and commanding. "You will be chief."

"I won't. The people will know and trust Snot, I am nearly a stranger to them. Why would they follow the son of a dragon sympathizer?" Hiccup retorted in the same tone, challenging his father.

"Because he is the son of the Chief, most well renound dragon fighter of all time." Hiccup scoffed at his father.

"I've known more dragon killers than you. I've known men who commanded the dragons to kill for him." Hiccup pointed his finger at his father. "You are nothing but a frightened old man afraid of change."

"Yer Mother tell you that?" Stoik narrowed his eyes, glaring at his child. "Yer Mother tell you that we couldn't change? couldn't move on from tradition?"

"Yes." Hiccup dared to raise his voice slightly.

"It's a tradition for a reason Boy. Dragons are evil." Hiccup scoffed again, sitting back hard against his chair and rolling his eyes. "What?"

"That's a running commentary with you lot isn't it?" Hiccup put on his best impression of a standard Viking. "Dragons are evil. They will kill you. Bla Bla bla." He sneered at his father. "You will not change. Mother was right."

"Yer mother was a fool!" 

"You were, are, the fool." Hiccup yelled back, standing to retrieve his stuff. "I came here thinking that maybe you could change, understand that dragons didn't hurt mother and I. I was going to convince you then convince Mother to come back to Berk, even if just to see that I could do good. But I guess I should have just listened to her."

"ye were gonna get yer Mother home?" His father’s voice was soft and broken around the edges. Hiccup turned with a nod.

"But I guess your stupid pride is too much for you to try something new."

"Hiccup. I want to see her." He admitted, looking up at his boy. Every bit his mother, not much of him in there at all.

"She doesn't want to see you." Hiccup turned back around to go upstairs and shut the door behind him.

 

Astrid could hear the Haddocks conversation from the river bank behind their house. And it was at that point she realised why he was here. 

He came home to convince his family to be together. To accept dragons would mean that the grieving old man could have his family. She stood with the bucket at her feet, a hand over her mouth. Hiccup meant to bring dragons to peace with the Vikings. He was fighting a losing battle to begin with. No army behind him, and a blackmailed father at the side. The whole of Berk would cease to exist as it does now. There would be utter chaos in the streets. Men would have to choose between what was safe for their families and what their Chief commanded. The council would turn on Stoik, Snotlout would become Chief, and his father would use the boy as a puppet. She shook her head and looked up at the room Hiccup was residing in, catching his shape pass the window as he paced back and forth. He stopped as she caught his eye and he tried to smile but it was grim in the foul mood he was in. She waved and he noticed the few buckets at her feet. Pulling on his shoes he jumped out the window onto the side of the house and dropped down, bowing as he reached her.

"Need a hand M'lady?" He asked, a steel tone in his voice.

"Need a hug Hiccup?" She asked back and he nodded, opening his arms for her to step into. She could feel the tension melt from his bones as she held him tighter to her, rubbing circles on his back. "Better?" She asked, pulling away.

"Yeah." He nodded again, a genuine smile on his face this time. "Thanks." Hiccup picked up two of the buckets and started walking them towards Astrid’s house.

"Thank you. I..." She paused her sentence. " I heard all that." 

His back stiffened but nothing else changed. "And?"

"I think you're insane. But you are right. The people of Berk are cowards." She admitted as they reached the houses back door, placing the buckets she was holding down to open the door and step inside. He said nothing and set the buckets down with hers, dusting his hands off on his trousers.

"I suppose I should go really." Hiccup said in a sad, small voice, not looking at her.

"You just got here." Astrid asked, puzzled.

"I mean from Berk. I can't live where the dragons aren’t welcome. It's not fair on Toothless. And I can't be grounded. Mum was right this place is like a trap." He shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself before looking up at her, catching here eye. "You're the only thing good here Astrid. I wish I could show you the world. It's so much bigger than Berk."

"I couldn't do that to my parents." She admitted, begging with her eyes for him to stay. A deeper sadness fell over his face, like he had been expecting it but hadn't wanted to admit it. 

"I know, I shouldn't expect you to leave for me." He should walk away. He should turn around call Toothless and leave this island forever. But he couldn't bring himself to look up from Astrid’s feet. 

"I would like to. But I couldn't leave forever." She stepped closer, resting her hand on his forearm. "I love my parents, and in a way I love Berk. It's home."

"It's an island dotted on a map bigger than you could even comprehend. This whole island is so, so, small." He emphasised, looking up into her face, a longing resting openly in his emerald eyes. "You would be so free. You could have a dragon. You could fly, Heck all of you could. They would be helpful, you could use them to complete chores that would usually take weeks in days, travel to new lands, get new wares. You could be adorned in beautiful clothes and jewels. I could take care of you the way you should be. I could show you places you couldn't dream, feed you fish so exotic it doesn't look real. I could take you to my home. You could meet my mother, teach her how to cook, gods know I’ve tried but maybe she'd listen to another woman. I could make you pretty things that would be dull in comparison to you. I could spend years crafting you axes and shields and clasps and brooches. I could show you what life can be. I could make you happy." He trailed off, as if only just noticing what he had said. His face went red as he bit his lip, wanting to look away but captured by her eyes, the way they glistened in the bright blue depths of them. The way her mouth was slightly agape, frozen to the spot. "I'm sorry that was too far."

"No. It wasn't. I know you want that. But I need time ok?" She begged, clutching at his arm before moving to hug him close to her, face buried into this shoulder as his arms went around her. "One day."

"I can't stay Astrid. They will kill me if they find out about Toothless. I don't want the Chiefdom, Snotlout can have it, but my father doesn't want the dishonour of a son refusing the seat. I would gladly be on the council if they had any intention of changing, but I can't be tied down. Not to a place like this. To you yes, gods I’d be tied to you forever if I could." His hand reached up to caress her cheek almost lovingly. " But to a place? It sounds horrible."

"But what will you tell your dad?" She gulped, pressing her face into his surprisingly soft hand.

"I have to go to mother. Maybe I could be an ambassador, a go between for trades and villages. But only if I can guarantee Toothless and any other dragons safety." He shrugged. "I can't let them keep harming dragons for sport."

"Hmmm, maybe. I don't want you hurt." She admitted, kissing his cheek then deciding to kiss his lips ever so gently. "And I don't think my bed is warm enough without you in." She teased. He smiled seductively and pressed a big hand to the base of her spine, pulling her lower body closer as he tangled the other around the base of her braid, tilting her head to be centimetres from his lips.

"Well then, I guess I have to spend more time there." His voice was an octave lower and it made her body shiver with pleasurable anticipation as he lowered to kiss her. Her body called to him and her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him as close as she could manage. His tongue darted out to lick the seam of her lips and a soft moan escaped, granting him access to taste her. He took full advantage of it and stepped her back against the wall of the house, pressing her against it and bracing his body around her to keep her there. Not that she wanted to escape in the slightest.

"How long." Kiss. "Will." Kiss. "You be." Kiss. "Here?" She breathed out between them. He shrugged under her hands, moving his head down to rest against her shoulder and kiss up her neck, being careful not to leave the mark he most desperately wanted to.

"A few days maybe? But I’ll always check in with you." He promised, looking at her before kissing her soft lips again, hands falling to rest on her hips. "I will always come back for you."

"Ok." She nodded, closing the gap between them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some smutty time you have been warned. :)  
> editing everything.

"Ye Mother has talked to you?" Stoik asked sceptically, raising a thick eyebrow at his son. Things were frosty between them to say the least. The boy was full of his stubborn headedness and his Mothers strong will. He would be a fine Chief. 

"She contacted me yes." Hiccup replied, resting his weight on to one leg, a habit Stoik had picked up on him doing.

"How?" 

"That doesn't matter." Hiccup snapped, grabbing his things and checking where everything was. "I have to leave after I talk to the council."

"Ye want a Council meeting? I thought you didn't want Berk?" He asked, excitement at his son changing his mind sliding into his voice.

"No I want to talk to them. Maybe they can be reasoned with." Hicc sat heavily into the chair next to Stoik’s own. "I have to know if it's worth me coming back here."

"Yer have to." Gobber entered the room, his goblet hand filled with liquid. "Yer alive. Astrid is yours." He hiccupped, dropping down onto the floor.

"Come again?" Hiccups face tilted to the side, trying to understand.

"Ye look like a dragon when ye do that Boy." Gobber pointed at him.

"Gobber" Stoik warned the drunk.

"No, I want to know what he meant." Hiccup growled at his father, looking a hel of a lot like Toothless.

"Ye don' know?" Gobber scratched his beard, taking a long chug from his drink. "When ye were little tots yer parents promised ye to each other. I assumed that was why ye two had been courting?" Gobber looked perplexed that he had been wrong. Hiccups face went blank with astonishment. 

"Wait wait wait. I'm promised to Astrid? That's, What? Why didn't you tell me?" He shouted, standing up and glaring accusingly at his father, mouth agape and terror running through him. Astrid wouldn't want him if they traded her like a piece of meat. Heck he'd be lucky if she spoke to him again. From what he'd seen, and who he'd met arranged marriages were always a bad idea. 

"Yes. Son she was a good strong babe, we promised you when Snotlout and Ruffnut were announced. It seemed logical." Stoik answered, shrugging and taking a sip of his mead. 

"You traded the girls off? What about Fishlegs?" Hiccup was getting more and more uncomfortable. 

"It happens all the time boy." Gobber interrupted. 

"And Fishlegs?" Hiccup pressed, his hands forming into fists. This was so wrong. 

"He got one of the younger girls. He and the others are aware of the arrangement, although, until you turned up I think he thought he was in with a chance with Astrid." Gobber wiggled his eyebrows and lifted an arm in a suggestive manner and the thought of someone else touching Astrid made his skin crawl. Mine his inner voice chanted.

"Does Astrid know?" He demanded, his voice low and dangerous. It made Stoik sit back into his seat with the power in it.

"As far as I know, no. You were taken so young we assumed that it was redundant." Gobber mused, frowning as he finished his drink.

"Good. She can make a decision herself." Hiccup left the room, slamming the front door behind him.

 

"Astrid dear? Can you come down please?" Her mother shouted up the stairs to where she was sharpening her axe. Huffing she put it down on her bed and went to her parents.

They were sat at the table, three mugs of mead on the table, fire burning behind them, bigger than usual smiles on their faces, and a mysterious gleam rested in her mother’s eyes. This was not good.

"What is it?" She asked, taking her usual seat beside her father and opposite her mother, clasping her hands around the mug.

"We have a few news updates." Her Father told her, a smile growing on his face.

"Ye seem to be close to Hiccup." Her mother hinted, a small grin on her cheerier than usual face. It was starting to creep Astrid out.

"Well yeah. We're good friends." she shrugged, trying to hold in the blush threatening to climb her cheeks.

"More than friends." Her Mother filled in, winking at her. Astrid choked on her drink and spluttered a few coughs until her father patted her on the back. "The boy made the most exquisite meal I’ve ever tasted, gave you a gorgeous cloak worth more than this entire house, and the way he looks at you gives it all away. My daughter, He is smitten." 

"He, I, We. It's." Astrid’s bush rose up and she hid in the nest of her arms. This was not happening.

"Aw." Her mother cooed, ruffling her hair.

"It's Ok my dear. We approve." Her Father smiled at his child. The Haddocks were well off. She would go to a better household than his own, she would gain more than she would lose to leave his family. That is why they struck the contract in the first place.

"Also I mean, it is arranged." Her Mother snapped her out of her self-loathing and was suddenly caught in the glare of her daughters blue eyes.

"What?" Astrid’s voice was icy cold.

"It was arranged when you two were babes. That you would be promised to each other, like Snotlout and Ruffnut." She had assumed her daughter knew. News travelled around here, that's how the other two found out.

"You sold me before I could walk?" She accused, drawing away from both her parents.

"No no child. We set you up for a good future. A better one than you would get with us." Her Father reasoned, trying to calm his daughter.

"Future? What would you have known about me having a good future?" Astrid spat at him. "What if I had fallen in love with Snotlout? Or Fishlegs? What would you have done then?" 

"You would have had to work it out with the Chief." He shrugged. "It would have been incredibly rude and it would have ruined our family’s reputation just as much as your uncle." 

"So you used me to climb the social ladder? To wipe out his mistakes?" She hissed, moving to the far side of the room.

"No Astrid come here and listen." Her Mother coaxed, offering her a knee to sit on like she used to when she was little. Astrid shook her head. 

"I was just a tool for you wasn't I? Some livestock to trade? No. If I go with Hiccup it' because I want to. Not for your sake." She stormed up the stairs.

"We didn't even get to tell her about the baby." Her mother wined, leaning on her husband. Astrid shoved her hand in her mouth and slammed her door.

 

"Guess they told you?" Hiccup asked, dropping from the tree above Astrid, landing next to her as she shrieked, pinning him to the tree with her axe. "Woah, I surrender!"

"DID YOU KNOW?" She shouted at him, Fury still seeping through her bones.

"No. I found out tonight as well." He promised and she lowered her axe.

"Swear it?" her voice got very small and she stared straight at his boots. He lifted her chin with a finger, forcing her to look him in the eye. 

"I swear Astrid. I had no idea." His voice was sincere, and his eyes wide. He hadn't lied. He didn't know. She was sure of it. Her arms threw themselves around him of their own accord and his slipped around her thin waist as his lips rested against her neck. "You don't hate me?" Hiccup whispered, sounding so downtrodden at the thought that she could that she pulled away to press a soft kiss against his lips.

"No. Never. You had no idea either." She confirmed and he nodded looking like a kicked puppy still so she kissed him again, and again, and again, until she could feel his lips in a smile. 

"Thank you M'lady." He whispered against her lips.

"Thank you Hicc." She whispered back, then she reached up to run her hands though his hair. "This seems like a very blunt cut."

"It was longer than yours." He coughed, sitting down and opening her arms for her to sit in his lap. "Some Ass-hole cut it off just before I came because his men 'thought I was a woman' " He shook his head in anger. "He then locked me in a stable."

"What?" She tried to imagine him with long hair. "I like this length."

"I'm glad you do. Mother doesn't." He chuckled then she ran her hand through it again and he let out a low moan. "That feels nice." 

"Really?" She teased, swinging her legs either side of him and running both hands through his locks, pulling them slightly so his face tilted up and she kissed him hard, her tongue demanding entry and he complied willingly. His hands rested on her thighs, running his fingertips up and down them repetitively until she let out a giggle. 

"Three." He whispered and she tugged his hair harder, growling into his mouth and bit his lip. He laughed gently and held his hips still, trying not to alert her of his growing problem.

"I will keep you here by the blade of my axe Haddock." She warned, pulling his bottom lip with her teeth and running her tongue over the trapped flesh. He moaned deeply, eyes closing again at the sight of her hair falling around her, some escaping the braid to fall on the other side, the sun surrounding her and giving her a glowing golden presence and her eyes filled with the same dark desires he was having. She let his lip go with a pop. 

"I'm willing to take that chance." He responded, hands lifting her by her hips so she was sat right on top of the problem she caused. Her eyes dilated and her lips dropped open, chest flushing as she realised what it was. 

"Oh really?" Her tone dripped with honey as she 'adjusted' herself, effectively rubbing him against her through clothes and he had to bite his tongue.

"Yes m'lady. I do not think you'd hurt me for the fun of it." He slid his hands back to rest on the rounds of her bottom and then slide them under her studded skirt, squeezing every time she moved a specific way.

"I think I could, maybe I could give you a shave." She mused, her hands running over his stubbly chin. 

"You don't like it?" He enquired, raising an eyebrow and pushing himself up against her as she moved to meet him. She bit her lip and took a deep shuddering breath. This was a dangerous game to play.

"I think you need less." She decided, running a finger over just his jawline. "None of the stuff above here."

"Then tonight I shall clean-up for you M'lady." His voice dropped and her willpower went with it. Her fingers quickly unlatched his cloak and pulled at his tunic, sliding under it to stroke the solid planes of muscle there as her lips crashed onto his. He slipped his hands out from her skirt and pushed her tops up, digging his fingers into her soft skin as he kissed down her chin and down her neck.

"Hiccup." She moaned as he kissed just below her ear and he did it again just to hear the way she said his name again, the noise going straight to his groin so he gently bit the spot which turned his name into the most glorious curse he'd ever heard. 

"Yes Astrid?" He whispered into her ear, her body scattering with satisfying goose bumps at the closeness of his breath. 

"I...I want...." She shivered again and turned her face to kiss him hard, pushing him against the tree and digging her hips down against his.

"What do you want M'lady?" He whispered, sucking on the spot he found before as her head dropped to his shoulder and she moaned like a five-year-old being told no. 

"But Hiccup..."

"Say it or you won't get it." He teased, cutting off her moan.

"I want your skin." She pouted at him, pulling back and puffing up her chest, making a cute begging face at him. He simply nodded at her, eyes dark as he pulled his tunic off and she lent down to run her hands over each and every scar she could see and his eyes closed, head falling back with a pleased sigh. It felt so good when she touched him. He knew she was looking at him but couldn't bring himself to feel self-conscious of his scars for once. 

"I love your skin." She murmured, kissing the scars on his shoulders, then running her tongue over it to taste the salt on his skin. His answering moan vibrated his entire body and, in turn, went through her too. She shuddered and licked up the claw mark that rose from his chest to the nape of his neck and he grabbed her face forcefully bringing his lips to hers and sucking on the bottom one. 

"You will get me in so much trouble my darling." He warned against her lips and she couldn't help but smile. 

"That's no problem of mine." She teased back.

"Oh, M'lady I can make it your problem." He promised, pulling up her skirt and sliding her leggings down her legs enough to slip his hands down her bare thighs.

"That's hardly fair." She whispered, eyes sharp as the cold started biting her skin.

"I have my shirt off." He reasoned, a smirk covering his lips.

"I think we should be in a dark, locked room Hiccup." She suggested, tilting her head to the side and playing with the end of her braid and looking up at him through heavy lashes. 

"I think I agree with you. I think that we may well be too loud for a house M'lady." He kissed her chin and down her jaw. 

"Would, do you want to I mean. What would we be doing?" Suddenly she lost her nerve and got worried. Would she really give herself to him right now? Would he want her? Would he still want her after? What if it was really bad? What if it hurt? What if...

"Hey, hey hey Astrid. It's ok." He pulled her into a hug and she was engulfed by his smell which calmed her. "You know I wouldn't force you into anything right?" She pulled back to look her in the eye. "You're always in control here."

"But do you want?" She waved her hands hoping he'd understand. He shook his head.

"Of course I do. But not right now. I wouldn't do that to you. You get to pick the pace and I’d rather have you safe and happy and mine. That's what I really want Astrid. For you to be mine." He captured her gaze, his green eyes burning into her baby blues, and he slid his hand down her side, brushing her breast and resting on her waist. "Mine and safe and happy."

"Ok." She nodded, tucking her body against his as he kissed the top of her head. "I am all of those you know?" A smile spread across his face. 

"As am I." He pulled her closer and soothes her head as she played her fingers in his chest. 

"What did this?" She pointed at a strange concentric circle burn mark, far too precise to be a dragon.

"Berserkers. They decided I would be fun to test their methods of marking on." His voice was tight and she looked up at his face, staring up at the sky in anger.

"What did you do?" She asked, running her finger over the swirl.

"Flame, my Timberjack, took out the boats masts and Toothless broke my bindings and took me out of there." He ran his fingers over her back and she thought that over.

"Un-Commanded they saved you?" She asked, curious.

"Yes, they are insanely loyal. They heard my yell and followed my scent until they found me. " He looked down at her. "They choose to be mine as much as I can call them mine. They are not forced. If Toothless wanted out he'd leave me here."

"And you trust that he won't?" She questioned. She didn't have that much faith in anything really.

"Yes. He's my best friend. I trust him more than any other man I have ever met. The dragons are the most reliable and loving creatures I’ve ever met." Hiccup said this as if he couldn't believe she didn't know this by now.

"How do you know he's still here?" 

"He's over there?" Hiccup pointed at the sleeping dragon hanging from the tree a little to their left. She looked like he'd slapped her with a wet fish. "You hadn't noticed?"

"No." She watched as the dragon dropped down, shaking himself before walking over to them, sitting with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. 

"Hello Bud." Hiccup offered a palm and the dragon reached out to be stroked. Astrid quietly lifted a hand. Hiccup could trust him, she could. Her hand stretched out and rested on the dark scales. Toothless looked at her and moved closer to rest his head next to her feet, and she let her hand run over his scales again. He was warmer than she anticipated, and smooth like Tinzel. Hiccup had the biggest, proudest look on his face and as she turned to look at him, her face was split with a smile. 

"You're amazing Astrid, do you know that?" He kissed her lips happily and hugged her close to him as she laughed. 

"I just stroked a nightfury." She laughed again and reached back over the dragon who was more than happy to now be getting his humans pets attention.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing the whole thing.

"You have got to be kidding me?" Spitelout shouted, his fist banging on the table.

"Spitelout!" Stoik yelled, warning him.

"No Stoik. This boy knows nothing of Berk. He cannot run it!" The man shouted back and spun around grabbing Snotlout by the shoulder. "HE is trained. HE knows Berk. HE knows EVERYTHING HE HAS TO!"

"HEY!" Hiccups voice rang louder than the mans, and everyone jumped. Hiccup hadn't raised his voice at them and they had assumed that he was simply quiet. "I know that. You guys know that. And I have tasks elsewhere. I do not want to take over Berk. Not right now. I have to go tie up some loose ends before I can even think to settle anywhere."

"Then why are you here?" Mildew asked, his nasally voice layered with resentment. 

"I wanted to see what had become of the village. I wanted to know what Mother was so angry about." Hiccups voice was low and deadly, and Astrid’s stomach tightened at the sound. He could be terrifying.

"Yer Mother is alive?" Spitelout questioned and Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Yes. For god’s sake keep up." Hiccup huffed and backed up from the table walking around them.

"All I want is for this to be a safe place. You haven't had a dragon attack in years." He spun around and held his arms open in a slight bow. "You are looking at the one who solved that problem." His smirk was openly visible even from the far side of the room where a few of the women were gathered.

"Good luck with that one." Ruff nudged her and whispered quietly, a couple of the ladies sewing giggled under their breaths. Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Yer lying." Spitelout spat. 

"No, we found the nest and destroyed it. You no longer have a dragon problem. Not a coincidence." Hiccup, lifted his leg to rest on his seat, leaning down onto the bent knee with his arm. 

"You cannot believe him Stoik?" Mildew asked, his head tilting. "He's a boy."

"I had Mother and a few choice friends." Hiccup, checked his fingernails. He was so damn confident in himself Astrid wanted to kiss him and punch him at the same time.

"Friends?" Spitelout quipped, puffing up in defence. "Would these friends be coming here?" 

"If you displease me or I decide to take the Chiefdom then yes. Anyone who tried to hurt them will face consequences." He looked up from his hand to send a sharp glare around the room. "I think my proposal is the best you can hope for at the moment."

"A chief doesn't need to threaten his chamber." Mildew commented as the group of men visibly shrunk back. This teenager radiated danger they didn't understand and they had no idea how to move from it.

"I shouldn't need to threaten them in the first place. But there are precise precautions to take before my friends are safe." Hiccups voice was dark and it made Astrid’s, and most of the other women, squirm slightly in their seats. The low commanding tome of it made Astrid want to bow her head down in surrender. But she also knew this was a front of his to get his own way. Weather he was a great public speaker or a winy child was still to be determined. 

Gothi tapped her stick on the ground and got all the men to look at her. With a pointed finger at Hiccup and a nod all the men backed down and huffed in annoyance. 

"It is final. Hiccup shall have free pass over Berk, and the council, until he decides to take it over. When I step down Snotlout will take my place until Hiccup reclaims the land that is rightfully his. And whatever friends he brings shall be safe." Stoik announced, raising his goblet to drink the movement in place with the rest of the men. Hiccup smirked then winked at Astrid subtly watching her roll her eyes in playfulness.

 

"Where are you going?" Astrid asked later when Hiccup was sat with the rest of the dragon academy to have dinner in the hall.

"I have to go tell Mother of the progress and I’m sure she has a few ideas for what to do. I think I’ll pop through relatively frequently." Hiccup looked over at the head table, to the left empty chair where his mother should sit, been left empty since the day she left out of respect, and to the right where he should be, currently occupied by a very awkward looking Snotlout who wanted to be there as much as he wanted to be hit in the face with Astrid’s axe. He wouldn't be a problem. His father on the other hand may be.

 

"How?" Fishlegs enquired, drawing his eyes back to his table.

"I have my ways." Hiccup replied in a mysterious voice and Ruffnut giggled.

"Ugh women. You're not like this with your fiancée." Tuffnut rolled his eyes and pointed at Snotlout who looked over with a loving look when he noticed his woman staring. But she didn't notice. "He has it worse than Astrid."

"Hey!" Astrid blushed. Curse Tuffnuts sharp eyes. For an idiot he picked up on more than people gave him credit for. 

"It's fine. He keeps giving you looks when you're not looking too." Tuffnut pointed his chicken bone at Hiccup accusingly. Hiccup merely smiled and shrugged, biting into the roll on his plate. 

"He's mysterious, Snotlout is boring in comparison." Ruffnut complained and pulled a face before noticing Snot had escaped and was walking rapidly over to them with his plate. 

"Good evening Ruffnut." He kissed her cheek and she rolled her eyes, huffing in annoyance and made a grunt back. Snotlout didn't seem too off put by it. 

"My dad has it in for you Hiccup." His cousin addressed him and Hiccup laughed quietly. 

"I'd noticed." He smiled. Snotlout was as unhappy about his Chiefdom as Hiccup was. Good. 

"You better have a pretty good plan if you want to change Berk. These Vikings are pretty stubborn headed." Snot bit into his dinner then carried on with a mouthful of food. " What do you want?"

"I want them to get over themselves." Hiccup snorted and pushed his empty plate away, noticing Astrid’s empty too he stood. "Any more M'lady?"

"Could I have another roll please Hicc?" She replied with ease, passing him her plate. The others all sat, mouths agape as they watched.

"Of course." He took it and walked away with a soft smile.

"Woah. You two? What? Why wasn't I told?" Ruff moaned, appalled at her lack of communication.

"Yeah, sort of anyway." Astrid shrugged, biting her bottom lip and letting her eyes follow him. A couple of the younger girls where gathered, watching him and whispering. She couldn't blame them. He moved with a dragon like ease that was very distracting. She also couldn't blame the coil of jealousy in the pit of her stomach at them being closer to him than her.

"OOOOH Astrid’s JEALOUS!" Tuffnut teased loudly and Astrid chucked her spoon at him, hitting his nose square on. Fishlegs looked at the floor sadly, not wanting to see the way Astrid looked at Hiccup. With Him around there was no chance of Her going for a guy like himself.

"Here you go M'lady." Hiccup placed her plate down them sat next to her, a leg either side of the bench, facing her, and his plate between his knees, picking at the chicken he'd gotten himself. "Food here is rather bland."

"What do you mean?" Snotlout queried.

"No spices, different herbs, meats, vegetables. I bet you've never eaten deer? Or beef, or gammon, pork? Cooked in hot oil or baked on rocks so hot you burn your hands if you touch them? There are such interesting foods out there." Hiccup replied, looking at the plain chicken with something short of distaste. 

"Wow! You've really travelled!" Ruff hummed, her head resting on the heel of her hand. "I wish I had been all those places."

"There's still time." Hiccup shrugged then finished his dinner, wiping his hands and putting his plate on the table, shuffling closer to Astrid so his outer leg as resting behind her and his other was bent to rest his knee on the floor. His hand skimmed up her back, pulling the loose strands of hair from around her neck and plating them together, tucking them into the intricate braid holding most of her locks hostage.

"I'm to be married off. No escaping them." She murmured, shooting a sharp glare at Snotlout.

 

"What's the deal with Snot and Ruff?" Hiccup asked quietly, running his cold fingers up Astrid’s warm thigh under the covers. Her skin sprang up with goose bumps making him smile against her ear and kiss her just below it.

"Snot basically bought her." Astrid’s eyes were closed, relaxed in Hiccups arms and wiggled slightly against him. She heard him draw in a sharp breath and did it again as his hand slid up her leg, gripping onto her hip bone tightly.

"What do you mean my love?" He whispered, biting the shell of her ear teasingly.

"He offered her family a dowry they couldn't refuse. They sold her when they were babes, like they did you and I. But he paid as soon as she turned 16 and she didn't have a say. Even though she doesn't really want him at all." Astrid held in a moan and stilled her hips as his finger dug into her soft skin. 

"Hmmmm, Do I have to offer something to your family?" He asked, slipping his fingers down to rest between her thighs.

"What?" She turned around to look at him, hurt and anger forming with confusion. 

"I don't know customs Astrid. I'm not trying to buy you at all." He reassured her, stroking her face gently. "I just don't know whether I’m meant to offer them something for them letting me have you as mine."

"Oh." She turned to face him with her whole body. She ran her eyes over his body, shirtless in the moonlight. The moon kissed his toned muscles, highlighting the deeper and older scars, painting his sharp jaw with silver. It clung to each wayward strand of chestnut hair, making his eyelashes look like ash surrounding his vivid eyes. His breathing was low, caressing her cheeks and making her lips want to be pressed to his perfectly formed mouth. A hand rested on her hip, then moved up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Well. I suppose it's customary to present a contract if you decide you want me as your bride. But for courting I think the dinner made your intentions more than clear." She reached up to brush her fingers over the light stubble around his chin, enjoying the feel against her axe worn skin.

"And how long should courting last?" He pulled her closer at the hips, hooking her leg over his thigh and pressing a kiss to the base of her throat. The skin looked so inviting in the evening light that he couldn't resist. She looked truly breath-taking in her nightgown, hair like spun gold cascading in a loose braid around her shoulders and eyes slightly heavy with sleep.

"A few months? Depends what your plans are." She answered in a breathy voice, eyes fluttering closed as he continued to kiss her neck and collar.

"And if you decide you don't want me? Or don't want to wait?" He mouthed at the top of her dress.

"I won't change my mind on you Hiccup. Not at all." She cradled his head as it moved lower, running a tongue over her nipple through the thin dress material.

"Even when you have to live alongside dragons?" He looked up at her, resting his cheek on her breasts.

"Dragons don't seem too bad." She ran her fingers through his thick hair. His grin was so happy she had to laugh.

"I knew you were perfect Astrid." He burred his face between her breasts and breathed out a heavy sigh. "If I could take you with me tomorrow I would."

"You're leaving tomorrow?" She suddenly went rigid and he lifted himself to rest above her.

"I have to my love. Mother called for me again." He nodded and stroked her cheek lovingly. "I shan’t be gone long my Darling."

"Oh." She sighed and looked away biting her lip.

"You can come if you like?" He offered, turning to make her look at him. She shook her head and sat up, wiping her face furiously. Why was she even upset? It wasn't like he had always been there. 

"Hey hey." He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "It'll be ok my love. You got to keep an eye on your family?" He asked, rubbing her arms to keep her warm. His body was warm and comfortable so she leant back into him.

"I don't know. I feel it would be inappropriate." She admitted, looking up at him from under long lashes.

"Oh." He looked down at her then kissed her temple. "I guess I must bring you back a present for every trip M'lady." 

"A gift?" She turned to look at him, hand resting on his shoulder, thumb rubbing over his pulse point.

"Yes. I find pretty things I like. Now I have someone to adorn with them." He smiled and kissed her lips softly. "I can find materials and jewels and food you can’t even imagine Astrid." He kissed her nose.

"I don't need all that." She smiled at him. "Just you is all." 

"Doesn't mean you don't deserve them my love." He nuzzled her neck. "I shall take you one day." She blushed at the double meaning, glad of the dark to hide her rosy cheeks. 

"I would like that." Her breath left her lungs as he stood, arms holding her to him and pressed her gently against the wall next to her bed, kissing her hard before dropping to one knee. 

"Astrid? I know I’m not worth much right now. I know this is no formal contract but you have my word, and my dragon, that when you deem it the right time I will take your hand. I swear nothing on my travels will change that fact." He held her hand and kissed it. "As long as you want me. I am yours."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning, not till the end though. Thanks for reading! Scarlett x  
> editing the whole thing now.

He was on his knee and Astrid was happy but confused. Why was he on one knee?

"I..." She stammered.

"Oh, not a thing here?" Hiccup stood up and scratched the back of his neck nervously and walked away then back again. "I, erm, I just want you to know that I’ll keep you safe all right?" He cupped her face in his big hands.

"Just look after yourself Hicc, I can keep the fort here." She leaned up and kissed him gently. "Are you going to leave before it gets light?"

"Yeah. I gotta keep Toothless safe." He kissed her hands and led her to her bed and sat down pulling her into his lap. "M'lady I feel like I should leave you something of me whilst I’m away." He nuzzled her neck with his nose, his bare chest pressed flush to her nightdress. 

"You don't have to my Darling." She smiled circling her arms around his neck.

"I will leave you something when I leave." He decided and kissed her skin. "I want you to keep it safe."

"Of course." Astrid smiled and kissed him on the lips, holding him close.

"I have to go m'lady." He kissed her again and stood up with her still in his arms.   
"I shall be back whilst you sleep to leave you your token. And I’ll be back soon after." He laid her under her covers and pulled them up to her chin then kissed her nose.

"Stay safe Hiccup." She kissed him then laid back into the furs, snuggling into the lingering scent of him.

 

Hiccup walked through the forest in the dark, well accustomed to the lack of morning light, his heavy furs wrapped around his flight suit and helmet tucked under his hat. His hand felt light without his ring around his fist finger, one he made when he first started forging jewellery, he added the diamond on top for her to give it some female touch. But he was glad she had it. It felt like a promise.

"Hey bud." He scratched the dragons head and waited until he was cooing at his pet then grabbed the saddle from its hiding place, securing it then pulling his mask on, clambering up to fly away from the one place he wanted to be.

 

"Hiccup!" Valka ran over as soon as they landed and pulled her son into a tight hug. She was so happy to see him she lifted him up and swung him around causing him to laugh breathlessly. 

"Hey Mamma." He hugged her back once she was on the ground. "Miss me?" He smiled at her and kissed her cheek 

"Yes my son of course! It's quiet around here without you and your dragon." She leant down to make a fuss of Toothless.

"I suppose so." Hiccup scratched the back of his neck.

"So, what did ye think?" She looked between the two friends. "All the way I said?" She raised an eyebrow at her son and continued to fuss the dragon.

"No…Well yeah mostly. But not all of them!" He smiled thinking about Astrid.

"Oh I know that look. It's Astrid isn't it?" She smiled at her son, raising t stand next to him. "Be careful with love boy it can kill." She warned and then called Cloudjumper over. "Ready?"

 

Astrid woke up cold. She decided at that point that she didn't like Hiccup being away. 

Huffing to herself she rolled over and noticed something different on her side table. Lifting to grab the small object she recognised what it was. Hiccups ring. The one that always rested on his left hand and pressed coldly against her skin whenever he held her hand or stroked her skin. Smiling she noticed the small gem set into it, an addition made for her clearly, the nightfury scale gave the clear diamond a polished backdrop. There was a thick black cord attached to the ring as a necklace which she slipped off to slide the cool metal over her finger. It was far too big on all of her digits but she lifted it to her lips to kiss it all the same. Sliding the leather back through it rested between her breasts perfectly, the weight reminding her of him as she got ready to do the day’s chores.

 

"Astrid!" The Chief yelled as she carried the buckets towards the house. 

"Yes Chief?" She put down the buckets and stood tall to him.

"'Ave ye seen Hiccup?" He rested a big hand on her shoulder and she shook her head sadly.

"Sorry Stoik I haven't seen him today. Maybe he went to do some of the tasks?" She tried, secretly angry Hiccup would leave without telling his Dad he was leaving.

"Aye." He heaved a sigh. "I just worry he isn't safe." The Chief rubbed his beard. "And how is he getting about?"

"I don't know Sir." She shrugged stretching her arms under the cloak.

"I see he made you a token." He raised his eyebrows suggestively and ran a hand over the fine pelts.

"Yes, I like it a lot." She tucked her hair behind her ear trying to hide an un-called for blush.

"He likes ye a lot." Stoik smiled and walked away leaving Astrid stood there on her own again.

 

"Yer going back?" Valka had a tone of upset under her question as she stirred the pot.

"Yeah, I have to." Hiccup shrugged and took two plates over to her. He pulled her long hair out and plaited it into a thick braid, tying it off with the band she handed him. He knew she loved having her hair played with and she smiled up at her son. 

"Be safe Son." She handed him his breakfast and walked out to check on the rescued dragons.

 

"Hey." He pulled the hair back from her face and smiled as she shivered under his flight cold fingers. She rolled over groggily.

"Hello stranger." She ran a warm hand over his stubble and pulled him down to her lips and kissing him hungrily. He wasn't expecting such a reaction and it took him a couple of seconds to catch up but slid his hand up the side of her face to hold her closer as her lips warmed him right through. "You're cold." She complained.

"One minuet M'lady." He kissed her soft lips again and pulled back, stripping from his shoes and armour. She stretched out and watched him a small smile on her lips. "What?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled seductively at her.

"Off." She demanded and rolled onto her stomach, leaning up on her elbows and letting her braid fall over her shoulder messily.

he took his belt off and twisted his hips playfully at her.

"Off." She pushed her arms closer and her breasts appeared bigger to him, teasing him.

He then rolled his shirt up and over his head, making his muscles pop out and catch the candle light. Her breath hitched in her throat and a low moan escaped her lips. His answering smirk was dark and full of lust as he watched her move in the thin silken slip she was wearing.

"Off." She smirked and he shrugged, undoing his trousers and sliding them down his legs, leaning back against the wall to pull them off his feet. She got up and stepped up to him, running her fingers over his scars and he closed his eyes, lips parting, giving her control of the situation. Her hands ran up over his shoulders, then down his arms, dipping inside his elbow and dropping onto his torso, sliding through a deep gash over his abs then down the centre of his stomach and dipping into the V of his hips. A deep moan escaped his mouth as she stopped to press her thumbs into the crevasses. "It's been a whole week." She complained, batting his hands away as he tried to reach for her. "A Whole week of 'Astrid, where's Hiccup?' 'Astrid, what did you do to him?' 'Did you finally scare him off?'" She scratched her nails down his hip bone. "I was starting to believe the last one, But this." She pulled the ring out from where it was nestled between her breasts. "This kept me thinking you would come back." She smiled evilly as his eyes watched the ring with something darker than recognition as it escaped her body heat. "I'm sure you want it back." She twisted the ring, still warm, in front of her face and then lifted it to her lips, kissing it then reaching up to let him do the same. His eyes stayed locked on hers as his lips pursed to kiss the jewellery, but kept everything else perfectly still. "I'm glad you gave it to me. It's nice to have you with me." She stepped into him so her body was flush with his, tilting her face up to look at him. "But this is nicer." 

"I agree." And with that his reserve broke and her pulled her closer to him, teeth crashing together and a gasp escaping between them as her warmth met his cold. He started walking her back towards the bed, picking her up under the thighs and dipping them both down into the bed without letting go. Her legs stayed around his waist as they moved up the bed so her head was on the pillow and he was close to her. "That ring is very lucky." He whispered into her ear as his lips made his way down her neck. 

"Not as lucky as you can be." She whispered back, grabbing his hand and resting it on her breast through the fabric of her nightgown. His moan ghosted across her collar and she had to hold in her own. His face then travelled down to kiss her through the fabric and she arched into him.

"And how lucky is that?" He murmured, lips brushing over her hardened buds as the words drifted over her skin.

"Well I have a few ideas of that you could get up to." She smirked and he slipped his hand down her waist, hitching up the side of her slip and stroking her skin underneath. Her skin erupted into goose bumps and her blue eyes closed. He took a few seconds just to look at her, drinking in every inch of her face, a smile and rosy cheeks, neck flushed and hair falling loose from her braid. His hand rubbed circles on her hip bone, skimming the top of her briefs as it did so and she shivered, letting out a soft moan. Hiccup smiled to himself and leaned down to kiss her lips gently, making the kiss long and drawn out. 

"I'm feeling damn lucky as it is Astrid." Hiccup whispered and stoked across her tummy, and then down the outside of her thigh. Her sapphire eyes opened and she giggled as she noticed the dopey loving look on his face.

"I'm sure you can get luckier." She lent up to kiss him, tangling the ends of her fingers in his long hair.

"I think I would rather calm down." He nipped her lower lip. "However..." He trailed off and slipped his hand between her thighs and tickled the apex of them.

"Hmmmm." She moaned and giggled at the unusual sensation. "Hiccup."

"Yes Astrid?" He kissed down her neck, running his fingers up and down the thin fabric hiding her from him.

"You better have some idea of what you're doing Haddock." She mock warned, wiggling under his fingers.

"And how do you expect me to have that?" He winked, a little embarrassed. "You can tell me if you like?"

"You're doing pretty good right now." She replied and he smirked moving her briefs out of the way and tickling the thatch of curls that escaped. She let out a breathy moan and he took that as a good sign, slipping his fingers out and sliding the entire garment down her legs and out of the way, dropping them over the side of the bed.

"That ok?" He checked, looking back up at her.

"Yes." She blushed, for some reason becoming self-conscious about everything. 

"Under the covers?" He asked noticing her discomfort.

"Yes please." She lifted and they pulled the covers up over them, her turning away from him and him snuggling into her, leaning up onto his hand, bent at the elbow, and lent to kiss her shoulder, his free hand skimming up and down her arm, singing over her stomach and hips. 

"You ok M'lady?" He asked and she twisted her neck to look up at him.

"Yeah, I am now. I've missed you." She kissed him and smiled, sighing as his hands ghosted lower again, slipping between her thighs. 

"I missed you too." He kissed her neck and enjoyed her heat against his bare skin as he slid his hand higher, nibbling her skin as his fingers ran over the crevasses between her womanhood and her leg. She didn't even think about it but her legs parted without her mind. His fingers ran over her warmth causing her to moan so loud he clamped his mouth over hers to swallow it. He repeated moving against her with his finger and she shivered again causing him to smile. 

"Hiccup." She panted, embarrassed by how quickly he was undoing her. "Hiccup what if I’m too loud?" 

"I got you Baby." He kissed her and swallowed her moan as he got braver with her body and slipped a finger inside her causing her to spasm against him and he had to bite into her shoulder to stop himself moaning as he tried to ignore his own growing problem. 

"Hicc, please." She didn't know what she was asking but it didn't really matter to her. He simply slipped deeper and moved them in a slow circle before pulling them out and doing that around the outside, repeating this process a few times, feeling her moan and move every time he changed speed, or he slipped his fingers deeper. He repeated the delicious torture for a while, swallowing her moans until he felt her go stiff in his arms and turn to bite her pillow as she tightened around his fingers. He smiled, feeling a strange sense of pride as he kissed her bare shoulder. 

"I got you." Hiccup whispered, moving to wipe his hand on the furs and turning her around to face him, tucking her head below his neck and pulling her close her him, trying not to poke her. 

"Hmmmmm." She cuddled into him and smiled. "Hmmm."

"Nice M'lady?" He gently laughed, running his hand up and down her back and pulling the covers all the way up as she nodded with a smile. "Sleep well Astrid." And with that he kissed her head and fell into a slightly painful but still very comfortable sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry im shitty at updating....  
> editing everything

Astrid woke up smiling, curling over into Hiccups side as he tried to move. 

"Noooo Hiccup." She snuggled into him and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face in his shoulder. 

"But M'lady I have to." He didn't really want to move and he simply pulled her warm body closer to his, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here secretly. No one knows I’m here."

"I like having a secret lover." She wiggled against him, slipping her legs over his hips and wiggled again, his body zinging to life and biting his lip hard. "I think that you are the perfect secret."

"You only want me secretly?" He raised an eyebrow and lifted his hips up under her, knowing that she was playing with him.

"Well." She rolled her eyes and shrugged, the early morning light catching her golden hair beautifully.

"I was going to announce you as mine though. I wanted the Village to know you're mine." He growled and ran his nails down her thighs under her night dress.

"But Hiccup, Scandal!" She giggled and leaned down to kiss him, sealing their lips together.

"I think the scandal is courting in secret M'lady." He whispered against her lips and pushed her hair behind her ear, pulling her closer by the back of her head and kissing her again, scratching his fingers against the back of her head in the way he found she liked.

"Well then I guess we must tell them." She whispered back.

"Not today M'lady I am not really here. I have to go pursue some trappers this was a halfway point. Mother is already flying I’m willing to bet." He got up and pulled his clothes on, buckling everything up.

"You guys are very early birds." She moaned and threw herself back under the covers, bunching them all up around her chin. 

"We wake with the dragons. And the babies never sleep." He finished putting everything on and then smiled down at her then leaning forward to kiss her forehead. 

"Hmmm baby Toothless's?" She imagined it and bit her lip at the cuteness. 

"I've never seen one. I've never seen another nightfury." He shrugged and then stood up. 

"You're dangerous." She muttered and he turned back to her. "I used to think dragons were evil. Now I think baby ones would be cute." Her eyes were dark and he could see the conflict running over her face. 

"Hey, you are simply opening your eyes M'lady. The others will come around as well." He kissed her one last time. "I'll take you to meet the babies one day."

"Hmmm, I don' know whether they will but I’m happy to meet babies." She smiled and leaned back into her bed watching him climb up to her window. 

"Have a good day Astrid." He blew her a kiss and dropped down to the ground. 

"Good day Hicc." She whispered to herself, curling into her sheets which smelled of him.

 

"You're happy this morning." Her Mother commented as she completed her chores with a low hum. 

"I just woke up happy." She smiled and hugged the woman who was folding clothes. 

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" She laughed and hugged her daughter closer. 

"She got lost in the woods I’m actually a ghost." She teased back and stepped away, cleaning the pots she was tasked with.

"I know it's Stoik’s boy." Her Mother called as she dumped the dirty water out the window. "Ever since you bought him home you've been a changed woman." She winked as her daughter turned to her with an astonished look on her face. "I know these things Astrid. I'm your Mother. You have been more talkative, More loving. You smile more and you actually laugh with your father." She took her daughters face in her big calloused hands. "I know my daughter Astrid. You are a changed woman." 

"Mum." Astrid blushed and rubbed her eyes to hide the red in her cheeks. 

"I know I’m right whether you like it or not." She laughed and handed Astrid a bucket of washed but wet clothes. Astrid took it and walked towards the back door. "That and I hear you two talking in the wee hours." She called and Astrid almost screamed as her Mother smirked at her.

 

That night at dinner Astrid was quiet and her Father was full of tension after a bad hunting trip. Her mother walked around them both with a practised silence and smoothness. 

"Come to hunt with me Astrid?" Her Father asked, huffing out his anger over a cup of mead. "You always catch something and I’m sick of mutton."

"Hmmm? Sure sounds good to me." She smiled at him and then looked down at her plate. Cabbage and mutton was all they had eaten for the last week. Money was tight. Very tight. And she sighed. If she had married Snot they wouldn't be struggling. But then she wouldn't have Hiccup. And he was clearly better for her than Snotlout. Wasn't he? She bit her lip and felt weight drop onto her shoulders as she pushed the sloppy cabbage around her plate. 

"What’s wrong with ye girl? Ye always loved huntin'." He rested a big hand on her shoulder and she smiled a little sadly at him. 

"Nothin' Dada, just tired I think I’ll go up once I finish this." She picked up the last of her meat and offered the vegetables to her Father who made a disgusted face and refused. She got up and scraped her plate then kissed her parents on the face before walking upstairs.

 

"So Son. How's Courting goin' for you?" Valka asked her son as they landed in the cave they left some belongings in before the raid. 

"Good. I think." He laughed nervously and unsaddled Toothless. "She seems to want to make it all official so yeah I guess you could say well." Hiccup smiled and Valka hugged him.

"The two of you won't have it easy. Especially if you want to keep dragons. You're going to have a lot of resistance." She brushed his hair back and tapped his shoulders. 

"I know Ma. But I really really like her." He blushed but smiled anyway.

"Ye are Betrothed to her so I guess it makes sense." She smiled and set up a fire for Cloudjumper to light. “You used to follow her everywhere then hide when you were little, smitten by three.”

"We kind of only recently found out about that. It had started beforehand." He sat down and Toothless curled up behind him to act as a pillow. Drawing his small knife from its holder he started carving a piece of thick round wood he'd collected on rout to this place and started carving out a small rose.

"Oh." Valka sat next her son and rested two fish on the fire. "Well then I guess I have to go through the Birds and the bees?" She teased and Hiccup groaned, concentration on his crafting.

"No you don't Mama, I know all I need to." He promised and finished the base shape. 

"Ye better not be screwing her Hiccup because I’ll string you up myself if you get her pregnant before ye' two are married." She threatened, her finger resting under her boys chin and making him look at her.

"NONOONO Mama I haven't got any intention to do anything like that. She is too important to screw around with." He assured her then went back to his carving. 

"Good. I wouldn't want ye to screw something up with a woman. You'll never come out alive. Especially if her father is involved." She laughed and turned the fish.

 

There was a knock on her bedroom window and she groggily got up to open the shutters.

"Hicc it's so late and Agh!" She scrambled back realising there was a dragon stood on her windowsill. "Gods! Tinzle?" 

The dragon chirped at her then flew to sit on her bedpost, offering her his leg as it landed. 

"You got something for me boy?" She took in a deep shuddering breath and reaching forward, letting the small terror sniff her hand before going into the pouch on his leg. Inside was a small wooden, exquisitely carved rose and a note.

Astrid,  
My dear I cannot be with you tonight as we have another search  
tomorrow morning and a market to attend to. I regret to inform  
you of this so I have sent Tinzle to you to tell you in advance that  
I should be back with you late tomorrow evening. I hope you have  
had a good day and that you like your present. Tinzle would  
appreciate some affection I am sure as he is currently begging  
me for it so make a fuss of him for me ok?   
Thank you M'lady. Sleep well.  
Hiccup.  
Xx

Somewhere during reading the dragon had slipped his head under her hand and she had started petting him absent-mindedly. Smiling to herself she scratched his scales a little harder and smiled as it made an almost purring noise. 

"Take something back for me boy?" She asked him and it chirped, getting comfortable as she retrieved a charcoal stick and parchment.

Hiccup.  
Thank you for the warning. I have to admit this Dragon Mail  
seems like a good thing. And Tinzle is rather sweet.  
I love my flower, did it take long? Tell me tomorrow, don't wear  
poor Tinzles wings out in one night.  
Be safe my darling, and say hi to Toothless for me.  
Be aware that you are quickly turning me to your side and you'll  
have to pay for that.  
Sleep well yourself.  
Astrid.  
x

 

She picked up the flower, admittedly not knowing what flower it was but it was pretty and well carved none the less, and then rolled her parchment up, tucking it safely into the bag on Tinzles leg. Suddenly she was more than grateful of him taking the time to teach her to read and write over the last few months, it was a skill she hadn’t realised she needed until she had it.

"Get this to Hiccup ok boy?" She gave him another scratch then opened the window which he flew through with a happy chirp.

 

"Where the Hel have you been?" Stoiks voice echoed around the hall as Hiccup entered, cold, wet and annoyed from a long flight in the rain.

"Elsewhere?" He offered with a shrug and proceeded to get a plate of food from the buffet. A buffet of boring fish, mutton and cabbage. He turned his nose up but took a piece of fish a meat anyway. He was hungry. 

"Ye don't talk to the Chief like that boy." Spitelout stood and tried to knock Hiccups food out of his hands. Hiccup simply turned away, slid a foot forward and tripped the man up mid lunge, sending him sprawling onto the ground with a wail.  
Hiccup looked down at him with a dark glint in his eye. "Oops." 

Everyone in the hall, including the Hoffersons, stared as the Chiefs son walked to the back of the hall, finding a dark corner to sit down in and pick at his food. 

"You may want to stand up Spitelout." Gobber called from the Chiefs table as he stifled a laugh. God Hiccup was perfectly the mix of his parents. Exactly what Spitelout needed to be taken down a few pegs.

"Shut it smithy." Spitelout stood and dusted himself off before sitting next to his son. 

"Be nice Spitelout, it may take the fact there is a cabbage leaf on your forehead down from being humiliating to just funny." Hiccups voice was low as it slid from the dark corner and a low ripple of laughter filled the hall. Everyone revelled in Spirelouts humiliation. Hiccup grinned and the only thing you could see in the dark were his teeth and a leg which was out in front of him.

"I ought to smack you boy." Spite spat, tearing the leaf from his head as Snotlout hid a laugh behind a tankard of mead.

"You'll do no such thing." Stoik threatened, his voice commanding but lacking the acid Hiccups angry voice held. 

"He disrespected you Chief." Spitelout sucked up and laid his hands in front of him. "I was merely protecting your honour."

"He is a teenage boy with years of not fighting with his father to burn, He is entitled to be grumpy when covered in rain." Stoik growled and the room slowly filled with chatter again. “I’m more than capable to look after my own honour from children.”

"Good luck Astrid." Ruffnut murmured, watching Hiccup from her spot next to Astrid. "He's hot, but hot tempered too."

"Yeah. I would be too if I was cold and wet I’m sure." She replied, munching the corner of the roll she had been given.

"I'm sure he makes you hot and wet actually. And very much not grumpy." She growled and nudged her friends arm, earning her a death glare. "I'm right."   
Astrid simply growled and went back to her bread before walking over to him, shoulders square, plate in hand and cloak around her shoulders.

"This seat taken?" She stood next to him and he looked up at her, sporting a rather large black eye. "Shit Hicc what happened to you?" She knelt down and pressed her fingers around the edges of it. He winced but took her hand in his to kiss her fingers.

"Some trapper got in a good hit. How hideous is it?" He looked at her through the eye that wasn't swollen closed with bruising. 

"Quite I won’t lie to you." She admitted, sitting down and running her hand through his wet hair.

"Great." He huffed then rested his head on her shoulder. "Sorry I’m wet."

"It's ok. Thanks for embarrassing that ass." She giggled and he smiled, turning to kiss her cheek. 

"That was rather fun." Hiccup admitted then choked out a laugh. "I have always enjoyed doing things like that to people who deserve it."

"Me too." She kissed the top of his head. "Want some?" She offered him half her roll and he took it, breaking it in half again and handing it back to her. 

"Thank you M'lady." He bit into it then added some mutton onto it, using it to make the meat taste like something edible. "How was it with me away?" 

"Cold." She shrugged. "Mum knows you come over."

"What?" He sat up and looked her dead in the eye, the purple making him seem even more alarmed. 

"She has noticed I’ve been...Nice." She said the word like it was a curse. "But she hears us talk too. She didn't make a comment though. I think she approves." 

"Oh...Want me to stop coming?" He didn't want to but he also didn't want to upset her family.

"No. Don't stop I missed you last night. I was serious about the cold thing." She pressed her hand to his good cheek and he leaned into it.

"Ok. I can't have My lady cold now can I?" He smiled then finished his bread. "When do you want me?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think :) x  
> editing the whole thing.

"Hey girl." Hiccup cooed at the blue nadder in the cage next to him. He opened the gate and she scrambled back away from him, terrified of the unknown. "Shhhh it's ok Pretty. Look, fish." He offered the dragon a fish and threw it in front of her. She was reluctant but clearly hungry so, keeping a beady eye on him, took it into her mouth and swallowed it down. 

"That good?" He pulled another out and stepped into the cage and offered it to her in his hands. Her body puffed up in defiance but she took it quickly, being careful not to touch him. "There you go." His voice was soft and she chirped at him, turning her head to the side and watching his hand as he pulled out another fish. This time she leant forward and let her tongue brush his hand, jumping back then stepping forward again, chirping louder and fluffing up her wings before stretching out to him. "You're a pretty girl. I think I remember you." Hiccup reached up and stroked down her scarred face, watching her relax into him and start that strange purr only hurting dragons made.  
Looking down Hiccup noticed a heavy ring around her foot, a chain keeping her from stepping closer but her wanting to was making the metal cut into her skin. 

"Aren’t they nasty stupid people? Step back pretty girl." He pushed her back and she quietened the purr. Hiccup stroked down her neck and over her wing, reaching under to press down her leg and crouch under her. She shifted slightly uncomfortably but let him inspect the contraction. It connected her to the wall with a chain twice as thick as his arm, and so heavy he almost couldn't pick it up. 

"Whater' ye' doin' down their Boy?" Gobber called, making the nadder jump back behind him in the cave like cage and knocked him over. 

"Shhhh!" Hiccup hissed at Gobber and went back to the shuddering dragon. "It's ok girl I’m here." He was stroking her nose calmingly.

"She'll attack ye' Boy! Get away!" Gobber tried to wrestle his way into the cage to drag Hiccup back but Hiccup shoved him back and snarled, pinning the bigger man down and holding him there in seconds. "AYE!" 

"Stop it!" Hiccup snarled, his voice dripping with danger. "Stop Hurting the Dragons."

"What are ye'? A sympathizer like Ye' Mother?" Hiccup tilted his head to the side and smiled in a dangerous way, much like a nightmare does when they are about to strike.

"Oh Gobber trust me I can be more dangerous than my Mother." Hiccup got up and took the hammer off of the weapons wall and went back into the cave, breaking the metal ring from the nadders leg. It ran out and with a spit of fire at Gobber, flew out of the open doorway the best it could. "I am not afraid to stand up against everyone. Mother was held back because she was married to a man who didn't care enough to try anything different. I don't have such ties Gobber. I've lived amongst dragons my whole life. I was raised as a child to be afraid, but the second I was with Mother I found the truth. You are just nasty little man who is too scared to bother changing." Hiccups face turned into a nasty scowl as he jumped up again with a fury-like grace and went to each cage, breaking every dragon free and watching them escape. Gobber didn't move whilst the dragons left other than to dodge the flames the nadder had sent to him.

Hiccup was setting all the dragons free. His dragon-likeness showing more than ever in each inch of his movements, the way he held the hammer and removed each of the dragons ties. The way he hunched and the way each dragon bowed down to him every time he opened the door. The way his voice was three octaves lower than usual and full of growls when he talked to Gobber. The way he didn't even flinch when fire shot over the Nightmare or the way the zippleback spat sparks as it ran past him. 

It was damn near terrifying. 

Astird wrapped the cloak around her tighter, she had been following Hiccup since he left his house and walked down to the kill ring, keeping out of sight and silent. But watching how quickly he turned on humans, like some switch keeping him somewhere between human and dragon himself, sent shivers up her spine. And not in a good way. 

"I..I...Hiccup?" Gobber called as the man hung the hammer back up on its place, then pulled out a torch from the wall, setting the whole wooden wall alight. 

"Gobber." He turned back around, full height but leaning on one leg, a habit Astrid had picked up on, and smirking as the flames licked up behind him.

"Hiccup Ye' don' understand." Gobber got up and stood on his good leg. "They Destroyed Berk. They took Yer Mother. They took Ye! Yer father was distraught! He didn't think he'd ever see ye' again. They we're attacking Berk and he only had his home left." 

"If he had listened there wouldn't have been a problem to begin with." Hiccup checked under his nails then looked up fleetingly at the older man. "If you weren't all so block headed there would have been a cure. Years ago."

"Hiccup!" Gobber tried to scold. 

"Mother and I aren't the only ones you know?" Hiccup started walking in a lazy circle. "There are others, whole colony's, of people who befriended dragons. And with Mother and I's help." He came to a stop in front of Gobber, his hands accenting each word. "They learned to fly Them."

"What?" Gobber started stepping backwards, trying to escape. 

"Vikings and Men astride dragons." He smirked darkly. "Armies from the sky and sea, fire and weapons, Berk is defenceless if they decide to attack."

Astrid held in a gasp of shock and felt a pang of something painful in her chest. Hiccup had lied. He had said he wanted to help Berk. Really he just wanted a level playing field.

 

After making sure Hiccup had left she snuck back into her room, only to find a very brooding looking man sat in her chair. 

"Don't." He warned as she opened her mouth to stutter out an excuse. "I know you followed me Astrid." 

Her heart sunk to her stomach and her stomach jumped to her throat. His voice was low and quiet and she tucked her hands behind her back nervously.

"Why?" 

"I..." She stuttered then he walked towards her in two long steps. 

"Astrid. I know you don't agree with me. But you want to be with me you know the cost." He stood just in front of her, no touching but she looked up at him anyway.

"You want the village unprotected?" She whispered and he shook his head, biting his lip.

"No i want you all to realise how much you need dragons to help you protect yourselves." He brushed her braid back then drew his hand back, huffing out the air in is lungs and dropping her eye.

"Hiccup, people are gonna trust Gobber over you." Astrid looked down at his hands that were wringing together nervously in front of him. She could feel his anger melt away and be replaced into something less confident, more, awkward.

"Yeah but they were hurting." He murmured and stepped back, scratching his neck. "I just couldn't listen to them crying for another night."

"You could hear them cry?" Astrid tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah." Hiccup sat down cross legged on the floor. "The low purr and distressed chirps and whines throughout the night. No animal should be captured." He looked up at her and he had pure honesty in his eyes and a little fear. 

"I didn't know that was the sound of them crying." Astrid ran a hand through his hair and he leaned into it.

"Most people don't." He let out a huffed breath and she sat down opposite him.

"Hiccup. You..." She stopped then took his hand in her lap, playing with his fingers. "You need to think about the change between Dragon Hiccup and Human Hiccup. It was...It was scary the difference between the two today." 

"But he was hurting them." Hiccup got up and went to her window. "I'm sorry I scared you Astrid. I won't bother you again." And with that he dropped out her window and into the night before she had the chance to move.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing the whole thing

Astrid was still.   
Still where she had watching Hiccup drop from her window and she didn't have it in her to move. She was in shock. She was sure of it. A small strangled sound that she had never heard before erupted around her and it took her a quick scan around the room to realise that it was her. Suddenly lacking the ability to stand she was a crumpled mess on the floor. 

Was he gone?   
As in, not coming back kind of gone? Would he be back? Her hand clutched at the ring still on the band around her neck and the metal dug into her fingers as a solid reminder that he had to. He couldn't leave this surely? 

Astrid didn't move until morning, didn't sleep, didn't even get up when her Father called her to breakfast.

 

"That monster set our dragons free!" Spitelout shouted at Stoik as the meeting was called to head. "He threatened our entire village and set more dragons about to kill us!"

"He seemed to think he was doing good." Gobber interjected, feeling guilty to have made them all hate the Chiefs son so much but he couldn't just say they set themselves free.

"He's a mad man!" 

"He endangered us all!"

"He was un reasonable!"

"Gobber is that a burn mark?"

Gobber rubbed his face and felt the slight twinge where the skin had been singed but nothing else out of the ordinary.

"That happened when I fed em' last." He confirmed, his sharp eyes on the Chief who was sat with his back to them, facing the fire in the grand heath of the Mead hall.

"Gobber what if they had turned on you? What if they had attacked and burned the town to the ground? Winter is coming!" 

"Spitelout?" Gobber quested and the smug as Hel man looked at him. "Shut up would ye? No one cares that yer precious Son got turned down by the one last eligible lady and had to stay with his fiancé. And to be dammed if Hiccup was going to take the Chiefdom. He hated the idea."

"Hold your tongue old man." Spitelout got right in Gobbers face, his foul smelling breath covering his senses.

"I'll nay hold my tongue. You bully yer boy around. Hiccup lives differently to us. His Mother raised him. He knew what he was doing." Gobber leaned back and scratched his chin. "He knew exactly what he was doing. It was like they listened to him."

"So he's the threat he was talking about!" 

"He is a dragon lord!"

"Oh for the love of Freya." Stoik turned around. "Every one of ye in here watched that boy burn my entire house down at 4 years old. He's no dragon lord. He's just..." Stoik sighed and looked at Gobber. "He's his Mother’s son."

"And his Mother was a handful too." Within seconds Spitelout had his brothers axe pressed against his throat and his back slammed into a support. 

"You will not talk ill of my wife." Stoik’s voice was low and deadly, dripping with threat and violence. "Get out."

"But Stoik I’m a counci..." Spitelout was cut off.

"No. Not anymore." Stoik threw his brother aside like a discarded flower. "I'm sick to death of you being well...You. All you do is tease and spite. You're a nasty little jealous man who couldn't keep a family together, let alone a Village. Now get out of my sight and I don't want you here again." 

"I! I! I resent that!" Spitelout choked out and stood, dusting himself off. 

"GO!" Stoik bellowed and the man grabbed his son and started to scamper back. "No." 

They both stopped.

"Snot can stay. When you're not around he's half way intelligent. He shall replace you in power and now nothing is up to you. You are stripped of everything you gain from your position." Stoik watched the way Snot seemed to tense then relax once his father let go of him. 

"As you wish." Spite bowed then walked out the hall, slamming the door behind him.

 

Three weeks. Three whole weeks and not a word. Astrid stood by her window at night and watched for the outline of a nightfury, sometimes she thought she could see one, but it was gone as quick as it came. She toyed with the ring every night, it hidden safely in her draw till he came home to collect it.

"Oh Hiccup." She sighed and closed the shutters, slipping into bed. His furs no longer held the comfort of his smell, nor did they feel as warm. Especially with winter setting in soon. What with the demand for food going up and the food being made going down it was going to be a hard winter. She hoped to the heavens and back Hiccup was ok. That he was warm and safe with his Mother in their home with the dragons. She didn't even care that he set the dragons free. Or that in doing that he had actually changed the whole hierarchy of the village for the better. She just wanted his body close to hers so she could feel the warmth he bought her. The warmth no amount of furs could compare to.

During the day she could hide it. Make everyone think that she was fine, her household was perfectly happy and money to spare but truth be told, whilst the village prospered from the change, her house had seemed to lose. Her meals where half their previous size, her father being unable to catch fish was greatly hindering the food supply, and her Mother had fallen ill, causing Astrid to have to take on all responsibilities. 

Life was really starting to suck again now Hiccup was gone.

 

The boats where armoured. So armoured even Cloudjumper couldn't think of a way to break through. And that really meant they were screwed.

"I see no way in." Valka shrugged and dropped her stick to the side, going over to scratch Toothless who was begging for cuddles.

"We've said that for the last two weeks Mama. Maybe we have to wait for them to separate?" Hiccup suggested, picking at his fish.

"But what if they die?" What about that Hiccup?" His Mother was frantic but he wasn't in the mood to deal with her swings today.

He missed her. He wishes he hadn't left but he could see it in her eyes. He could see the way her gaze changed from loving to calculating and reserved. The thing he'd loved the most about her was that she never looked at him like that. And then she did. And, somehow, everything, and nothing changed all at the same time. Hiccup panicked.

"Hey!" His Mother turned around. "You never give up Hiccup."

"Maybe that's my new thing now."

 

"Hey!" Valka shook her son awake and he groaned but turned over under his dragons wing. "They're moving away." 

"Let’s go." Hiccup pulled himself up and pulled his armour on and saddled up Toothless.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know i know i suck. Im sorry i really am.  
> editing everything.

“Where is Hiccup?” Ruffnut asked and Astrid threw a knife at her. “For god’s sake I was only asking!” 

“That’s all anyone asks. How do I know?” She hissed retrieving the blade from the wall behind her friend. “It’s been weeks how would I know?” 

“Well you knew before.” She shrugged and went back to sewing. Winter had truly set in and the women were all holed up in the Thorstens house doing ‘womanly’ things. Astrid was miserable without the dull ache residing in her chest. 

“Why do you care?” She snapped and threw the shirt she was sewing to the ground. 

“Because since he left you’ve been horrendous.” Ruff muttered and Astrid growled at her. 

“Very funny how long did that take you?” She got up and stormed out, her mother yelling at her until she was out of ear shot.

 

“Hiccup!” Valka screamed as she spotted her son tied to a mast of the dark ship, urging Cloudjumper forward, jumping down and landing on the small platform just under his feet. “Hiccup.” She reached up to touch his face and he was freezing and soaking and shivering. “Oh Gods.” She cut him down, careful of noise as the men below the deck could always walk up and see her. 

“Mama?” He looked up wearily and she held him close, calling the dragon over and pushing him on before jumping on herself and wrapping him in her fur. 

“Shhh baby boy. I’m here.” She kissed his head and he shivered, curling into her like a child. “Get us to civilisation Cloudjumper.” She yelled and he went faster towards the islands they had passed on the way.

 

“Dragon!” Someone yelled and Astrid looked up with the rest of the village but the dragon was landing, a rider sliding down and pulling another with her before the dragon flew off. Much too quick for the catapults to be set up after years without use. 

“I need your healer.” The one standing and holding the other called and Stoic walked forward with his shoulders back and head high. 

“Who are you?” He called and the rider threw her mask off and onto the floor.

“For God’s sake Stoik call Someone!” Valka yelled and the chief fell to his knees. 

“Hiccup?” Astrid’s mind suddenly woke up and she ran forward, wrapping her cloak around the shivering man being held up by his mother. “Hicc!” She tried to make him look at her but Valka shook her head.

“He passed out miles back. He’s been missing for two weeks.” Valka cried and suddenly Stoic stood up, walking over and taking Hiccup in his arms, rushing to his house with the two women following over. 

“Snotlout get Gothi.” He ordered and the other ran towards the hill. 

“Get the door Val.” He called and she opened it wide enough for them both to fit in, sitting in front of the fire, grabbing all the blankets she could and making a nest for her son to warm up in. Stoic placed him in her arms and she immediately took his wet trousers off along with the shirt he was in. It was ripped and covered in blood but she simply set to warming him up. 

“Astrid. I need blankets. And water and rags. Please. Stoik get some clothes as well. Clean.” She was ignoring the way her husband was looking like he had seen a ghost and shooting around orders. That seemed to be the best plan of action. Within minutes she had all she needed and set to tending to his open wounds on his front. They were varying depths and some were newer than others but they all had blood on. Astrid had to hold a hand to her mouth to stop herself throwing up. “Astrid come here. I need him on his front so I can get to his back.” Valka commanded and she went without thinking. Opening her arms she let the other woman lay him in her arms, keeping him warm with the furs whilst his mother tended to the whip lines carved into his beautiful back. She was crying but she didn’t care. 

“Thank you Astrid.” Valka stood up and let her get him comfy in her lap, his head against her shoulder whilst her back was against the wall next to the fire. He seemed to stir and grab hold of her shirt but simply continued shivering in her arms. The two adults went to the next room and she looked down at him. He looked so sad. And broken. That wasn’t something she associated him with. She took to stroking his hair soothingly and tried to block out the yells coming from the other room. 

“Ast?” He coughed and she snapped out of her doze, looking at him quickly to realise he had his eyes open but only just. 

“Shhhh Hiccup. I’m here. Your parents are too. You're safe I’ve got you.” She tightened her arms around him and he winced. “Sorry!” 

“No. Don't let go you're warm. I’d forgotten what warm was.” He tugged on her braid and kissed her skin under his lips. His voice was scratchy and broken and she tugged the tray of stuff his mother had put down over, lifting a glass of water to his broken lips. He drank slowly and with small gulps but eventually finished it with a sigh. “Thank you.” His voice was stronger and she ran her hand through his hair gently. 

“Shhh Hicc. Do you want some bread?” She asked and he nodded, lifting his hand to take the roll from her and nibbling the corner. “Do you want me to call your parents?” 

“Parents?” He looked up at her and she had to suck in her breath as she looked at the cut from his right eye across his nose and into the left side of his lip. 

“Yeah your Mum bought you here.” She soothed out his worry lines between his eyebrows. 

“And I'm not dead?” He queried. She shook her head. 

“No thank the Gods. But you’ve been unconscious a few hours since you got here.” She kissed his forehead and he seemed to melt. 

“Do you hate me? Because that’s all I could think about when they beat the crap out of me. That I deserved it after I left like that.” He admitted in a small voice, refusing to meet her eyes. 

“No Hiccup. I thought I did. But I don’t. I just want you safe. Are you aware of how much you've affected me?” She stressed and he nodded gently. 

“I'm sorry I screwed everything up.” He looked up at her and she leaned in to kiss his cheek. 

“Shhhh. It's ok. What is done is done.” She told him as his mother walked in.

“Are you aware of how stupid that was boy?” She yelled at him and he winced into Astrid’s body. “You didn't say what or where you were going or doing. You literally left camp without my noticing. Toothless? He was worried sick. He flew off and I’ve not seen him since!” She looked like she wanted to hit him upside the head. She probably did. 

“Sorry Ma. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I just needed to think. Then I saw some guys bullying a thunderdrum with sticks and I couldn’t just walk back!” He got himself into a state and his mother reached over and pulled him into a hug where he was still awkwardly sat in Astrid’s lap as her arms floated away from the family. 

“I know. I found him in the morning and guessed the only reason he had any teeth left was something to do with you. But then we couldn’t find you.” She kissed her son on the cheek and he leaned back into Astrid’s arms happily.

"Was he ok?” He asked and she nodded. 

“I sent him home.” She knelt down and Stoic cleared his throat behind her. 

“You nearly died and all you cared about is a dragon?” He looked completely disbelieving and quite pissed that Astrid didn’t seem at all surprised. 

“It was in vain if he didn’t get away.” Hiccup croaked and tried to sit up on his own but winced at the cuts on his back. 

“Hiccup. Are you aware of how much trouble you caused?” Stoic sat on his chair. 

“Don't you dare Stoic. Don't you dare he just woke up.” Valka threatened and the man visibly paled. 

“It’s ok Mam. I have it coming.” Hiccup winced and looked up at his father. 

“You made the council fall apart. You gave me the kick I needed to kick out Spitelout out. The council have worked better than ever before. You made us open our eyes. Though you owe Gobber an apology. You have to work to replace the tools you destroyed but boy. You are the reason Berk is still standing.” He smiled and reached over to rest his hand on his sons shoulder. “Thank you.” 

“What?” Hiccup and Valka said at the same time and Astrid started combing her fingers through Hiccups hair. 

“Everyone who followed with what Spitelout said or did has come clean. Spitelout has been banished and the council are ready to take on a new leader. You are the one they want.” He told him before smiling at his wife. “Now you're both home.” 

“No.” Valka stood up. “This is not home.” Stoics face dropped dramatically and Hiccup looked at Astrid but she wouldn't catch his eye. 

“Val.” Stoic pleaded, reaching for her but she brushed his hand away. 

“This was never a home for Hiccup and I. This is your home. With your old ways. Your old traditions. Your stupid dragon hating attitude. I saw how many of your men drew swords to Cloudjumper. You have not changed.” Valka pointed at Astrid. “She has. She wasn't even phased by a stormcutter landing in your village but no one else even thought about listening to me before deciding he was a threat. As soon as he can fly we're leaving.” She announced and walked away from the room and up the stairs. 

“Your mother always did know how to make a scene.” Stoic tried to joke but Hiccup shook his head slowly. 

“She’s serious. Cloudjumper wasn't safe. Toothless won’t be safe or any other dragon. I can’t stay knowing my friends may be killed for sport.” Hiccup got up, wincing and swaying slightly before wrapping himself in the furs and offering a hand to Astrid who got up and took it. 

“It’s a dragon!” Stoic shouted and Hiccup sighed. 

“To you. You are small minded. Dragons are amazing. You just like killing beautiful things.” He kissed Astrid’s hand and lead her up to his room. His mother was locked in Stoics room but Hiccup just sighed rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

“You don't have to stay. I just thought you may like an explanation.” He told her on a small voice but she stepped up to him, kissing his lips gently until he broke down and kissed her back, his hands resting on her hips. 

“I’ve missed you Hicc. I get you couldn’t come back.” She brushed his hair out of his face.

“I’ve missed you. You're all I could think about. When they beat me. When they tied to the mast. When they killed the nightmare in front of me just to rile me up all I could think of was you. About how you would be strong enough to fight. About how you would come up with a way to kill me quickly rather than how they wanted to do it. I just wanted to be back here but I knew I had fucked everything up and that you could never want me after all I had done.” He was crying and hyperventilating by the end and Astrid stroked his arms and hair to calm him down. 

“Shhhhh shhhh Hiccup. I’m here. I don't hate you or want you away from me. You're all I want.” She hugged him and he held her closer than he should with his injures but he did it anyway. 

“Stay with me? Please?” He begged and she kissed his cheek, leading him over to the small bed, pulling back the covers, kicking out of her shoes and skirt she laid down and pulled him into her with his head on her chest. “Thank you.”

“It's ok Baby. Sleep.” She soothed his hair back and he soon fell asleep as did she.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> re editing everything.

“Hicc?” Astrid called as she woke up alone. The shutters were pulled back and he was sat looking out the window with her cloak around his shoulders, a steaming hot cup of tea in his hands. 

“Morning Astrid. Tea there for you.” He nodded at her then looked out over the horizon again. 

“Thank you.” She got up, wrapping the blankets around her as she walked up to him, resting her hand on his shoulder. He lifted his hand to press it against hers and laid a small kiss on her first finger. 

“Where is he Astrid?” He asked brokenly and her heart clenched tightly in her chest. 

“I don't know Hiccup. He'll be safe.” She kissed his cheek and tasted the salt of tears lingering on his skin. 

“I can't know that. I need to get better and call Torch and well go find him.” He decided and turned to kiss her lips. “What can I do to help in the meantime?” 

“Rest?” She suggested and wrapped her arms gently around him. “You’re seriously hurt Hiccup. You were out cold.” She reminded him gently. 

“I’ve had worse.” He shrugged and she tilted her head to the side. “I er, pissed off a Death Song it tried to take my leg off.” He shrugged. 

“What in Hel is a Death Song?” She asked and he laughed. 

“There is so much for you to learn Astrid. It’s a bright coloured dragon that lures other dragons to it by singing and then encases them in a solid capsule before eating it.” He stroked her hair back and went to pull her hair tie out. She jumped back and shook her head. 

“That’s not something you can do.” She told him, holding it in both hands. 

“But I can Astrid. I do Mums hair all the time?” He reasoned and she smiled at him gently. 

“Only family can see a woman's hair down. Family or husbands that is.” She kissed his nose and he blushed gently. 

“Sorry Astrid I didn’t know.” He pulled her closer and kissed her gently before resting his head on her chest which made her laugh and stroke his hair back. 

She decided not to tell him he wasn't supposed to do that either because they had already slept together. Everything was sort of messed about anyway. 

“It's fine darling.” She kissed the top of his head and looked out over the sky with him. 

“Hiccup?” Valka opened the door and they both looked around. She was stood with her weight on the weird staff she arrived with looking world weary. 

“Hey Mama.” He got up and walked over to her hugging her close as she wrapped her arms around her son. Astrid looked out the window to give them some privacy. 

“Come here Astrid.” Valka called, opening one arm to invite her into the hug. “I need to thank you for saving my boy from getting himself killed on multiple occasions apparently.” She had a kind smile and Astrid moved over to them. Valka wrapped her arm around her as did Hiccup and she smiled at them as they pulled away, Hiccup keeping his arm around her small waist. 

“Yeah. She kept me in line.” He laughed and kissed her head. She looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. 

“You attract trouble Haddock.” She accused and he shrugged whilst Valka laughed loudly. 

“He did that from the day he was born. It’s a gift I swear.” She smiled fondly at her son. “Though I suppose he wouldn't be half the man he is if he didn’t.”

“I for one can’t wait to hear the young Hiccup stories.” She teased and he covered her mouth with his hand shaking his head. 

“Dear Gods no you don't. I embarrass myself without my Mothers help thank you very much.” He mock scolded and she made big puppy eyes at him and he gave in, pulling her closer and laughing with her. “Besides its always not my fault.” 

“You got stuck on a lone isle because you forgot to hold onto your dragon.” Valka tested and he shook his head. 

“I was training Torch!” He reasoned and Valka raised an eyebrow. 

“Torch is a timberjack. You left on a Nadder.” She flicked her hair back and he smirked. 

“It was a rescue mission!” 

“Torch didn't even leave the nest.” She looked at Astrid who was watching Hiccup with an amused look on her face. 

“I didn't say it was successful.” He shrugged and leaned down to kiss her forehead lovingly. She missed being like that with Stoic. 

“Come eat you two I have some bread and cheese downstairs.” She walked away and Hiccup reached around to take her cloak off, wrapping it over her body. 

“I can’t have milady getting cold now can I?” He kissed her lips gently as she smiled at the pet name. “Thank you Astrid.” 

“Thank you Hiccup. Thank you for coming back to me. I was miserable.” She admitted and kissed him back.

“As was I Astrid. The second I was out of your room I regretted it.” He held her close. “I’m so sorry.” 

“You're safe now.” She hugged him then her stomach growled.

“Lets go feed that stomach dragon you’re hatching there.” He kissed her cheek and she laughed at him. “I’m counting that.” 

“That doesn’t count!” She called as he led the way. 

“Yes it does.” He picked her up at the bottom of the stairs and sat her on a chair by the fire in his lap. She was warm he was not. That’s what he used as an excuse anyway. 

“Fine. You're delirious. I'll send for Gothi again.” She poked his nose. 

“She'll only hit me with her staff.” He wined and Valka appeared with a plate of food for them to share. 

“She hit me so much when I was younger. I think I was permanently concussed.” She mussed up Hiccups hair and he laughed so loud it shook her bones. 

“That would explain a lot.” He nibbled on a corner of bread and then Stoick walked in to the house making the space seem half its previous size. 

“Morning you three.” He stood back from his family knowing full well that Valka wanted nothing to do with him. She had left to sleep in the inn a while after Hiccup and Astrid went to bed. “Your father sends his regards he knows you're here.” He nodded at Astrid and she nodded back.

“Thank you Chief.” She replied and took some cheese to eat.

“I ought to thank them.” Hiccup spoke softly to Astrid. “They let me steal you last night without them breaking my jaw.” 

“Dad may. Mother has a soft spot for you.” She smiled and he was taken aback again by just how beautiful she was. 

“I like your mother. She’s a good woman.” He smiled back at her. 

“You should go see her Valka.” Astrid looked over at the older woman who was sat at the table looking at a map. “She'd like that.” 

“I may do. I always got along with her.” Valka smiled over at them. “I must thank them for not stringing my son to the nearest tree as well.” 

“I thought her dad was going to but I cooked food.” He shrugged finishing off his bread. 

“That is the way to pacify a man.” She nodded. “Probably why you were always so angry really Stoick.” 

“Well.” Stoick scratched the back of his head. 

“Her cooking hasn't improved.” Hiccup chimed in and Valka smacked him round the back of the head. 

“Ye survived didn’t ye?” She joked and Hiccup shrugged. 

“Just.” He winked at her and Astrid, watching Stoick’s face, noticed how distraught he looked that no one would let him in.

“How are the people this morning Chief?” She offered and he looked at her slightly relieved that he wasn't actually invisible. 

“Confused. Although with Spitelout out the picture it’s a lot calmer. I think everyone is more in shock than anything.” He scratched his beard and shook his head. “Him being out of the picture Snotlout is showing signs of being a decent young man.”

“Anything from that man will always be corrupt.” Valka muttered and handed Stoick a tankard of water and a plate if bread. He looked surprised but took them. 

“When his dads not there controlling him he has his mother’s mind. She always knew good strategies.” He reasoned and Valka hummed at him in a non-answer that they all knew meant that she didn't believe him but couldn't be bothered to fight. 

“Or if there isn't a woman around.” Astrid snorted and Hiccup nearly choked on his bread laughing at her. Valka let out a full laugh and it made Stoick jump three feet in the air. 

“His father is the same. Or he used to be.” She huffed and sat down on the chair next to Hiccups. 

“Val.” Stoick raised an eyebrow. 

“You seriously think this boy is innocent? Or are you protecting Astrid?” Valka reasoned and Stoick blushed under his facial hair and coughed on his drink. 

“I have no idea what you're on about Mum.” Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck and let out a strained laugh to which Astrid kissed his cheek and he looked up kissing her back quickly.

“How you feeling anyway Son?” Stoick changed the subject quickly to hide his own stress at the idea of someone else knowing his son more than him. 

“Better. A couple of days and I'll be fit to find Toothless.” He nodded at his mother who nodded back smiling. That was the son she knew. 

“Where were you hiding him before?” Stoick asked, sounding quite miffed that he couldn’t work it out. 

“In the forest. It's easier than you think to hide a night fury.” He commented and the other shook his head. “He won’t hurt anyone unless they hurt me or mum. And possibly Astrid. He is quite fond of her now.” He smiled at her, tightening his arms around her waist. 

“You've met it?” Stoick stilled, his demanding voice seeping through. 

“Yes a couple of times.” Astrid shrunk and Hiccup growled under his breath. No one was to make his Astrid feel small. 

“Do you think it's dangerous?” Stoick ignored his sons noise. 

“He seemed more like a lap cat once he decided I wasn’t going to hurt him or Hic.” She waved her hand at Hiccup who had put their plates on the floor and was stroking his arm up and down her leg. 

“Forgive me if I choose not to believe it.” Stoick stood and Valka snorted at him. 

“I should have guessed you would never change.” She stood up and only reached his chest but she had an air that made her seem bigger. “You are incapable of growing up are you aware of that Stoick?” She growled much like a storm cutter would and Stoick paled, gulping, afraid to look away from her. 

“What if I say I am willing to meet it?” He shook slightly which both children found rather amusing. 

“Him.” Hiccup interjected and Stoick’s eyes slid momentarily to his son. “Him. Toothless is not an it.” 

“I will meet Him then.” He retried.

“I could call Cloudjumper. You can meet him.” Valka almost threatened but Hiccup spoke up. 

“And when was the last time Cloudjumper made a new friend?” He joked and Valka tilted her head sideways. 

“You have a point their Son.” She sighed. “Call Torch?” 

“Yeah a timberjack... That’s a great small starter dragon isn’t it Mother?” He teased and she smacked him gently over the head.

“Stop using your brain boy you're showing me up.” She laughed and then smiled at him. “Tinzle?” 

“Yes.” He smiled back. “He's who Astrid met first.” 

“I'll send Cloudjumper to collect him.” She turned and called the dragon out of the window who flew over in a few minutes and gave him orders before he flew off again with a few powerful beats of his wings.

“I may go back to sleep actually. I didn't really sleep last night.” Hiccup announced and lifted Astrid with him bridal style who just nodded before remembering he was hurt. 

“Put me down Hiccup. I'm heavy you're hurt.” She demanded and he placed her down taking her hand instead. 

“I think the fur is the heaviest thing about you Milady.” He kissed her knuckles and waved at his dad. “See you later. Tinzle will wake me up.” 

“Do you think that’s acceptable?” Stoick nodded at Astrid going with him. His hand tightened in hers. 

“I think if she wants to come she can.” He turned to her. “Do you wish to come sleep with your too tired to be useful or even carry you up the stairs boy who you have agreed to court?” He extended the offer and she just rolled her eyes.

“Do you think this is acceptable Valka?” Stoick’s voice was full of disbelief and she just shrugged. 

“Let’s face it if anything happens in this house well hear it.” She smirked and Hiccup groaned dragging Astrid up the stairs with him. 

“I’m sorry about them.” He smiled at her once they were in his room. 

“I’m sorry they’re right.” She winked and he let her push in back onto the bed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> editing everything

Hiccup was tired. Being tied to a mast for days did that to you. And there was no way Astrid was escaping his grip. 

She struggled but he only held her tighter and she gave up, twisting in his arms to face him instead. He looked younger when he slept. He didn't have the worry line between his brows or any expression to give his feelings away. Half his face was covered by the pillow but she could feel his breath on her cheek as her fingers carded through his long hair. It was very bluntly cut and pondered how looked it was before, trying to picture it below his shoulders like some of the young traders had come to wear it recently. She couldn’t see it. 

“As?” He blinked sleepily at her. “What's up?” 

“How long was your hair?” She asked and he made a confused noise, lifting one hand to rub his eyes. 

“But length? Mum never let me get it cut.” He pressed his face into her neck, inhaling deeply as he pressed kisses all over the soft skin. 

“Who cut it?” She whispered as he moved up to kiss behind her ear. 

“The Bourge Chief. He was jealous.” He nibbled on the outer side of her ear and a low, unexpected, moan escaped her lips. 

“You gonna grow it again?” She squirmed under him as he lifted his upper body over the top of hers, pinning her to the bed which creaked in protest. 

“Would you like me to M’lady?” He brushed his lips over her cheek and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I'm not sure. We’ll have to see.” She tangled her hand in his spot locks and pulled him down into a hard kiss, nibbling on his lower lip playfully until he moaned into her open mouth, licking into her lips and sitting up on her legs, pulling her up as well. 

“I hate this bed. I'm going to take you to the nest one day. My bed is made of furs so thick you can’t even think of being cold.” He kissed her gently, cupping her face in both his hands before getting lost in her ice blue eyes. “I'm not leaving you again Astrid. You have no idea how deeply under my skin you are.” He admitted and she turned to kiss both palms. 

“I think your bed sounds perfect. And I'm not letting you go Hiccup. Last time I did that you nearly got yourself killed.” She hummed against him and sighed. “You had me scared.” 

“As scared as you're going to be going out there and being called my accomplice? My Conrad? My girlfriend?” He smiled his full smile and she pressed her forehead to his. 

“That last one may be a problem.” She teased and he tickled her waist, making her fall back against the mattress. “I think you should be more afraid if my Dad.” 

“Oh that I am. I’d take an angry Nadder over an angry Hofferson any day.” He raised his hands in surrender.

“What dragon would you put me on?” She asked, playing with the end of her hair. 

“Stormfly. She's the most affectionate Deadly Nadder you'll ever meet. Beautiful blue scales that shine in the sun when she’s clean. Fast gutsy little thing but safe. I think she has a crush on Toothless.” He looked down at her with a lovesick puppy face as she blushed. 

“You've thought about it?” She rested her hands on his thighs, kneading them. 

“Yeah. The second I met you you reminded me of her. I think you'd get along well.” He kissed her gently and laid next to her again. 

“Can I meet her?” She was quiet, reaching for his hand and wrapping her fingers through his. 

“Once I can fly I can take you to the nest and see if she's there? She likes to explore so we may have to do a few trips before we find her.” He warned, squeezing her warm digits.

“We have to fly?” She tensed against his side. 

“We don’t have any other entrance. You'll be with me Astrid.” He reassured her. 

“But it'll be cold.” She whined and he laughed at her. 

“I’ll make you a flight suit when I make my new one.” He tapped her nose. A loud horn blew outside and they both jumped, him sending her a worried look.

“The traders.” She informed, getting out of bed and pulling her outer layers on, offering him her cloak. “You need to stay warm.” 

“I’m not having you cold M’lady. I’ll cuddle a blanket.” He shrugged, adjusting his trousers as he got up, wrapping his body in a thick fur he bought with him. 

“I miss your cloak.” She leaned into him as they made their way towards the door. 

“Me too.” He kissed the top of her head and they headed into the street where people were bustling around to greet the ship. 

“What do you think you're doing?” A nasally voice shouted from behind them and they turned to see an old, skinny man with beady eyes and a sheep at his feet. 

“Greeting the ship?” Hiccup raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the sea. 

“You're not welcome.” He spat.

“Mildew you live the opposite side of the island because no one wants you around so I think I'm good.” He smirked and steered Astrid down the hill.

“Thank you.” She wrapped her arm around his waist. 

“That was fun.” He kissed the top of her head as they reached the docks. 

“Hiccup!” A load voice boomed over the crowd as the sailor made his way through them. “You're alive!” He threw his arms around the leaner man. “I have something of yours. Was given to me to trade from some ship we met at sea. I knew it was your craftsmanship.” He grabbed Hiccups hand and dragged him to the ship, stepping onto the deck and grabbing a box, throwing it at him. 

“Thanks?” He opened the box and smiled. “Thank you so much Eret.” He hugged the man then pulled his cloak out of the box, his flight suit resting underneath was slightly battered but at least he had it. Offering the fur he was previously wearing to the sailor Hiccup wrapped himself in his cloak. “Wildcat fur. That’s about 100 coins worth for your troubles.” 

“Wow. Thanks Hicc!” He man had so much enthusiasm it made Hiccups ears hurt. “Now if you'll excuse me I have wears to sell.” 

“He found your cloak.” Astrid appeared beside him and he smirked at her, feeling much more himself with his own clothes.

“And my suit but it needs fixing.” He lifted it out the box and slung it over his arm, watching the way Eret charmed the villagers. “He's such a showman.” 

“Takes one to know one.” She shoulder bumped him and he stuck his tongue out at her. 

“Hey you picked me.” He shrugged and leaned down to kiss her temple, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders. 

“Can I send you back?” Her teasing came with a completely serious face and he went to pull away, not being able to work out if she was joking or not. “Come back here you idiot.” 

“Yes M’lady.” He smiled when she wrapped her arm around his waist, walking her off the boat. 

“Hiccup!” His head shot up to see a very unimpressed looking Mrs Hofferson. 

“Would it be smart to run?” He whispered to Astrid who snorted in an attempt to not laugh out loud. 

“She'll catch you.” She warned just before they drew up to the woman. 

"Just what did you think you were doing going off like that?” She scolded, smacking him on the left side of his head. “You had my daughter worried sick.” 

“Sorry Ma’am. I was detained.” He apologised and she heaved out a heavy sigh, pulling him into her body. 

“Your poor mother would have been having heart problems.” She patted his shoulders as she pulled away. 

“He runs off frequently actually. He's normally in one piece when he comes home.” Valka walked up behind her son, ruffling his hair lovingly. 

“You haven’t changed one-bit Val.” Mrs Hofferson smiled and threw her arms around the slimmer woman who squeaked before hugging back briefly. 

“Neither have you.” Valka joked, relining her cloak on her shoulders. 

“Come over for tea? I don’t need anything from the trader.” She offered and Valka threw her son a terrified look before following. 

“She missed her.” Astrid leaned into Hiccup who nodded. 

“I think humans will be good for Ma.” He kissed her cheek and there was a loud squawk. 

“Dragon!” Someone shouted and Hiccup whistled, bringing Tinzle down to his arm.

“He's mine he won't hurt you unless you hurt him, Mother, Astrid or I. So do well not to do any of those ok?” Hiccup threatened, stroking the dragons neck to calm him down. 

“You're a threat to Berk!” Mildew yelled, shaking his stick at the younger man. 

“I’m the only reason there are no dragons attacking Berk. You are more of a threat than me.” Hiccup drew to full height and set his angry stare on the shepherd. 

“I don't bring dragons here though.” Mildew mumbled. 

“That’s because your stench keeps them away.” Hiccup spoke up and Tinzle made his way to sit on Hiccups shoulder when the Chief strode next to them, holding in a snicker at his son’s wit. 

“Are you going to let him talk to me like that?” Mildew appealed and Eret cut in from behind. 

“He can do a lot worse than that trust me.” Everyone laughed and Mildew started shaking with anger. 

“Calm Mildew.” Stoik ordered. “I’m not much more comfortable than you.” 

“Say hello.” Hiccup nodded towards the dragon that was watching the huge man talk.

“Maybe not here.” Stoik raised an eyebrow at the creature. 

“Why not?” Hiccup popped his hip, leaning slightly away from his father. “Astrid has.” 

“Is that so?” Stoik’s anger spiked at being compared to the shield-maiden. 

“Tingle? Sit on Astrid’s shoulder.” He ordered and he squawked, flying to rest on Astrid who raised her hand to stroke him. The entire town was silent, watching the four interact. “See?” 

“I.” Stoik sighed and stepped forward too quick. Tinzle hissed at him and fluttered up out of his reach. 

“Calm, slow.” Hiccup raised his arm and the dragon rested on the limb, bumping his head against the bottom of his masters. “Try again.” 

“I will.” Ruffnut stepped forwards and Tinzle locked onto the movement. 

“Ok then Ruff.” Hiccup motioned her forwards and she stepped up to them.

“Hello little guy. You're cute.” She reached over, letting the dragon sniff her hand and the entire village held its breath. She raised the hand and let it rest gently against the warm scales. “Hey you're not cold.” 

“Most dragons aren't cold. Or slimy as I’ve had someone ask before.” Hiccup smiled and she started stroking properly. “See? He doesn't want to hurt anyone.” Hiccup looked over at his dad and noticed his mother stood just behind him, smiling proudly. “Dragons are not evil.” 

“Yes they are.” 

“They killed my wife!” 

“They sunk my ship!”

“They ate my sheep!” 

“When was the last time they attacked?” Hiccup cut in, offering the dragon to Astrid who let it jump onto her shoulder, stroking his wings gently and earning a happy chirp.

“Three years ago.” Gobber chimed in helpfully. 

“You're welcome.” Hiccup bowed, smirking at everyone. “Apparently the council haven't told you what happened. Mother and I found the nest. The nest that was controlling all the attacking dragons. The very same you had been looking for in the wrong place.” He nodded at a couple of fighters who had opened their mouths. “And we took out the queen. You haven’t had a problem since. Look at Tinzle? Is he evil? Has he maimed anyone?” 

“No.” The crowd murmured and Hiccup turned looking at everyone. 

“Has Cloudjumper killed anyone? Hiccup pointed at the Dragon who had come out of the trees to stand behind Valka when he decided she could be in danger.

“We don't know.” Someone shouted, pointing at the Stormcutter who rolled his eyes. 

“Want to say hello girls? Since you're the only one’s man enough to do it?” Hiccup turned to the girls and hushed them forwards, everyone else cleared a path. “Bow slightly.” They did and the dragon tilted his head. “Offer your hand.” They did and Cloudjumper nudged both the offered palms. “You can stroke him.” They both stepped to each side and pressed their hands to his scales, running them down his neck slowly. “Who else is interested in moving forward?” 

“I will.” Gobber hobbled over and did as the girls did. Cloudjumper looked exasperated at Valka but let him rest a hand against his neck. “You're smoother than I thought.”

“Clodjumper is rare, but he is beautiful.” Hiccup scratched behind his ear. 

“Dragon.” Stoik squared up to the beast and Cloudjumped gave Hiccup a sad look. 

“Chief don't threaten him and he won’t threaten you.” Hiccup pressed his hand to Stoik’s side. 

“He needs to know I’m in charge.” Stoik shook him off and Cloudjumper let out a warning growl. 

“No you are not. He is in charge. He gives you the chance to prove yourself worthy. You just get one chance don't ruin it.” Hiccup put on his own Chief voice and Stoik stopped to stare at him. 

“Ok.” Stoik stopped and dropped his shoulders, offering his hand which Cloudjumper slowly lowered to. He knew he needed to behave. Once his head drew back Stoik stepped up to rest his hand against the dragon’s side. “Oh.” 

“See? Dragons are temperamental but not evil. They don’t enjoy killing humans or fighting them. They are loyal. They are amazing.” Hiccup leaned back against the dragon who rested his head on top of his own.

“They are though.” Mildew waved his stick at them. 

“If I asked him to he would. But he is far too lazy for that.” Valka threatened and he murmured to himself about women being too forward. “I'm sure no one would mind if I do.”

“Come on guys. You can see that there is a dragon in front of you that hasn’t killed anyone. He has not killed your Chief. He has not killed your women and children. He is not dangerous unless you hurt him or his friends. Now who is looking into growing out of old traditions?” Hiccup cut in before his mother lost her temper. He set his gaze on every member of the village, daring them to threaten his authority. 

“He's one tame dragon. Show us a wild one.” Astrid’s father stepped forward. 

“How do I get one? None come near here.” Hiccup queried and he spoke up again. 

“You’re a dragon trapper.” He turned to Eret. “Find us one and bring it here.” 

“I have an agreement not to do that with Hiccup. It’s not humane.” Eret scratched the back of his neck nervously. 

“When one lands I'll happily prove it but forcing a dragon out of its territory just to prove a point? No not acceptable.” Hiccup squared his shoulders and the man decided not to push it. 

“Very well young man.” He bowed his head slightly and everyone seemed to decide together. 

“Let them stay Chief. As long as the dragons bring no harm and they stay out of the food supplies I think having them here is a good idea.” Gobber stood next to Hiccup, smiling at the only almost son he had. He liked the man Hiccup had grown into. He would bring great change. 

“Fine. Village vote. All who say they can stay raise a hand.” Stoik addressed the Vikings as a whole and many of the younger people raised their hands, a few of the more curious did too, but there was still a few who didn't like it. “Then they stay. Keep them under control.” He added to the riders who nodded. Tinzle flew up and licked Stoiks face, making him jump and bat him away. 

“Tinzle is hardest to train.” Hiccup shrugged, stroking the dragon lovingly. 

“Yeah yeah.” The Chief laughed at his son and ruffled the man’s hair. 

“Go get Torch Tinzle. Get him and keep an eye out for Toothless please.” Hiccup told the terror before it flew off into the midday sun.


	20. Chapter 20

“Are you coming with me?” Hiccup turned to Astrid as they walked from the square, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

“Where?” She skipped to keep up with his long legs, climbing the hill to his house was a longer journey than she thought.

“Adventure? The sanctuary? Home? To find Toothless? To get you Stormfly? The possibilities beyond Berk are endless.” He threw his arms out, spinning in a circle and smiling happily at her. “There is an entire world out there Astrid.”

“What about Berk?” She rubbed her arm, not getting infected by his happiness.

“They will survive. You. You M’lady, need to explore. You need freedom and excitement. You need saving from my cousin the most though.” He teased, kissing her as they reached the door. “I will not stand for that.”

“Then stay?” She offered and his mood fell.

“You seriously don't want to live do you?” He asked and she shot him a confused look. “Berk is so small and insignificant Astrid. For god’s sake the Sanctuary is twice the size of here. Come with me. You ask I'll bring you right home. Just. Just trust me ok?” He finished in a breath, his eyes begging where his mouth stopped.

“I do live Hiccup.” She took his hands between hers. “I live in Berk. I live for my village and my parents and for my Chief. That could be you Hiccup. You could have Berk.”

“Why would I want it? It is so limiting. It’s brain washed you into thinking this is all you need. Astrid.” He cupped her face in hands just as it started raining. “Astrid I want you to come. I want you to be by my side whilst I discover new worlds and try new things. I want you. Why can’t you see that all you have to do is give freedom a go?”

“Because.” She sighed, watching the water slide off of Hiccups hair and down his nose, the drop landing on his full lower lip and slipping off of his chin. Righting herself to look into his emerald eyes she bit her own lip. “What if it goes wrong? Hiccup are you aware of how absurd this sounds?”

“No. There is only three things I am certain of. 1) Dragons are not evil. 2) I trust Toothless with my life and I need to get him back. 3) I want you with me.” He licked his lips. “All I could think about whilst I was up there was how if I ever survived I wanted you. You make all the dizzy, problematic, worried feeling go away Astrid. You are my Dragonnip. You are what I need.” He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing her in whilst protecting her from rain.

“Hiccup.” She struggled, mapping his face with her eyes. “Hiccup.”

“Shhh. I know you don’t see what I do but I won't push. I told you that and I'm telling you that now. I don’t need you to change, ever. I just need you to accept what I know to be true.” His voice was low and he didn’t open her eyes but she felt her resolve snap.

“Take me.” She whispered and he locked onto her, eyes opening quickly. “Take me with you.”

“Thank you.” He pressed his lips desperately to hers and her hands shackled around his wrists. “Thank you so much Astrid.” He fought against the door and opened it, tumbling them both into the front room where the fire was roaring already and lifted her by her thighs, wrapping them around his lean hips and pressing her back against the door. “Thank you thank you thank you.” He murmured between kisses to her lips, cheek and neck. Astrid was holding in little moans and noises that went directly to Hiccups crotch badly and their breaths mingled in the cold air between them.

“Hiccup.” She gasped as he moved against her, his body solid against hers and pressing all the right places. “Hiccup we can't.” She moaned against his mouth as it captured hers, hot and wet against her own as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, eyes smirking at her as his tongue licked over the trapped flesh.

“It's ok M’lady I'm not taking that risk. Doesn't mean you can't feel good though.” He winked and she tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling his mouth back to hers and pressing herself into him.

“Upstairs now.” She demanded and he nodded, biting his lip and locking his hands under her ass, carrying her up the stairs with an ease that made Astrid shiver all over.

“You cold?” He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head as he laid her down on his bed, pulling the covers back whilst he shook off his cloak and let it land in a heap on the floor. “Good.” He reached over, undoing her cloak and pushing it back against the bed, sliding under the covers and nestling himself between her thighs, kissing gently over her shoulder and neck, nipping gently and making her squirm under him.

“Off.” Her order made him lick a long stripe up the column of her neck, pressing his lips to hers as he reached them and grabbing his shirt, tugging it off in one smooth move when her hands roamed over the exposed skin. The cold was biting and he grabbed the covers pulling them over before kissing from her cheek to her ear, nibbling on it until she wined long and loud into his ear.

“Getting worked up Astrid?” Her name rolled off his tongue, slipping from his lips like sin and she was realising be wasn't the only one with a problem. “I got you baby. Promise.” He kissed her lips gently, his hand slipping up her inner thigh gently, rubbing over her leggings and circling ever closer to where she wanted him.

“Hiccup, wait.” She was shaking and he was off of her and next to her instead in seconds.

“What is it?” His voice was strained, searching for whatever he had done wrong. She shook her head at him.

“I think we. I think we need to stop.” She was panting and he still looked stressed out. “Or things are going to get out of hand, quickly.” She added on.

“Ok.” He seemed to chill out, lying down and opening his arms for her, which she curled into. “You're probably right M’lady.” He huffed a laugh, reaching down to rearrange himself under his trousers. Astrid blushed but he didn’t seem effected by her embarrassment.

“Is there anything you want to see?” Hiccup kissed the top of her head and it took a second for the request to register as not sexual.

“The sky. The stars?” She looked up at him through her lashes and he brushed her hair back from her face. “Sunrise? Whatever the hel you refer to as a death song? That sounds pretty awesome.”

“She is gorgeous. All yellows and blues and like a rainbow. Her voice is something you’d rather not hear.” His voice echoed through the darkness, eyes glistening under the rays seeping through the closed shutters.

“When will we have to leave?” Her hands trailed over his exposed chest, watching the dip and fall of his breaths.

“Couple of hours. Wanna go pack and say goodbye?” He kisses the crown of her head.

“Yeah please.” She got up and righted her dress, folding everything back into place. “Meet me later on?”

“Always M’lady.” He got up and kissed her one last time before pulling his shirt on.

 

“You're not going.” Her father ordered, voice low and hand gripping his tankard too hard.

“But dad!” She stomped her food, bag resting against the doorframe.

“Marry him then go. I’m not having my little girl on some gallivant across the world unwed with some boy. Chief son or not he's still a male.” He was red faced as she was at the end of his demand and Hiccup had just walked through the door as it started with eyes wide and hand still on the handle.

“Not that I don’t intend to make good on that Sir, but I think she should see where I live, and how I live, before making that decision.” Hiccup smoothed over, resting his weight into his right leg.

“You intend to steal my daughter’s virtue?” He was completely red and Astrid’s mother was simply still next to him, eyes on the floor.

“Not right now sir.” Hiccup smiled at her mother who sighed, rolling her eyes at her husband’s protectiveness.

“Come on, she’s been staying with him since he came back.” She reasoned and he shot her a warning glare.

“I'm not happy about that either!” He bellowed and Hiccup bowed his head.

“I'm sorry about that Sir.” Hiccup announced. “When I first arrived I was not aware of the courting rituals of Berk. I'm sorry I went out of my way only to insult you. How can I correct this?”

“I.” Her father stuttered to a stop, gulping down air. “You propose a setup be made. Although I suppose the betrothal makes that redundant.” He sat down, running big hands over his face. “Wife?”

“As far as I'm concerned the betrothal covers it. But I do agree it's a bad move to go with him unmarried.” She shrugged at the couple who shot her terrified faces. “But if Valka is with them I can see no reason she can't trial run his life. She'll be going with him anyway.” She back peddled.

“I think we go to Valka and Stoik.” He got up, herding the whole family out of his house and up to the mead hall.

 

“Marriage is a great idea!” Stoik clapped his hands happily.

“No.” Valka shook her head. “She has to know what she's in for.”

“You take any responsibility if she gets pregnant?” Stoik pointed at his wife.

“Yes.” She rested her hands on each of the kids shoulders, squeezing in warning.

“Ok, give them four days?” Stoik turned to the parents who were gaping at him. “She's going to go anyway. You know her.”

“I can't believe you are allowing your son to steal my daughter!” Her father yelled and Stoik shook his head.

“Astrid do you want to go?” He decided to take his wife’s side.

“Yes Chief. I want to find out more.” She nodded at him, leaning into Valka slightly who loosened her grip to put around both of their waists.

“Ok. Don't do anything too stupid.” He waved them away to deal with the outraged parents and they both slipped out of the hall quickly.

“That went smoother than I thought it would.” Hiccup admitted, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close as they descended the stairs.

“I thought he was going to have your head.” She agreed as they came to her house, grabbing her bags and noticing a new one on top. “What's this?”

“I don't want you cold. I'll adjust it once we decide you want to fly.” He lifted the flight suit he had been working on in secret before he left, finished it off this afternoon and held it to her. “It should fit.”

“Hiccup.” Her blue eyes narrowed and he bit his lip. “Hiccup this is a lot of work.”

“If you didn’t want to fly I was going to give it as a warm present before I left weeks ago.” He blushed, laughing as she punched his arm, taking the heavy garment and kissing his cheek before running upstairs to put it on.

“How does it do up?” She came down, tugging the straps and huffing at him.

“Come here.” He pulled her via the straps and did them up, crossing the front two, wrapping the bottom one around her waist and clipping in the buttons. He then double checked, throwing her cape around and clipping it to the straps he had made so it didn’t strangle her when they flew around her neck and nodded, holding in a groan. “I like you in my things.” His voice was low and her eyes closed gently, leaning into the kiss he pressed to her lips.

“I like having them.” She admitted, opening her eyes and looking out at the town. “I'm going away for the first time.”

“You will come back M’lady.” The promise was simple and she leaned back into him, drawing his arms around her waist.

“I'm holding you to that Haddock.”

“I wouldn't expect any less.” He kissed her cheek. “Torch is here.”

“How do you?” The dragon landed in the centre of town and everyone scattered into houses as they walked out.

“Hey boy.” Hiccup approached the typhoomerang with an open palm, which the dragon pressed his nose into. Astrid was struck with fear suddenly. He was much bigger than Toothless. Much bigger. Much louder as well. His wings, settled against his sides, were bright yellow, his face white like a skull and his eyes dark and calculating.

“He's not as scary as he looks Astrid.” Hiccup called to her, making her suddenly go stiff. She hadn't realised she was shaking. “Come here.”

She walked over to him slowly, skirting around Hiccup to stand just behind him.

“Torch, meet Astrid. She's important. We like her.” He told the dragon, who reached his head over the top of Hiccups to nudge her shoulder. “He likes you.”

“Hello.” She whispered, not trusting her voice not to break. Torch rubbed his nose against her cheek and she laughed, bringing her slender, gloved hand up to rub his face.

“Oh hel no.” Astrid’s father was stood in the doorway of the house, her mother behind him, eyes wide and terrified. “You are not stealing her away on that.” He spat.

“How did you think we were traveling?” Hiccup popped his weight onto one hip and shrugged. “Torch is fine.”

“I’m surprised. Would you rather her ride the Night Fury?” Valka walked up with Cloudjumper, the two dragons bowed slightly to each other.

“I'd rather my daughter stay on the ground.” He huffed, body shaking.

“It's just a few days’ dad.” She pleaded and he shook his head. “I will be safe.”

“Safe is at home. On Berk, sleeping in your parents’ house and letting some normal man court you. Safe is being Chief Snotlouts wife and raising burley children without a perchance of flying off into the sunset and leaving you as a human sacrifice.” His face was red with anger and both dragon riders failed to hold in snorts of laughter.

“Oh dear. Astrid is too skinny for a sacrifice.” Valka teased.

“If we wanted that we'd take Fishlegs.” Hiccup joined in, leaning against the dragon’s side.

“You can't chain her here forever husband, besides, Snot is betrothed to Ruffnut.” Her mother soothed, resting her hand on his arm. “She is your daughter.”

“Bring her back. Intact. In one piece. Or I'll hang your head like a trophy.” He pointed a warning finger at Hiccup who nodded.

“I'll accept that.” He smiled and her mother returned it.

“See you in a few days.” She ran over and hugged both parents, breaking from her father who simply looked scared, kissed his cheek and walked back to the dragons.  
“Wait!” There was a great commotion and Ruffnut came into view, a bag full of stuff training behind her. “Take me with you!” She was panting when she stopped a couple of metres away, both dragons looking unimpressed. “Don't leave me with Snotlout.” She sobbed dramatically.

“Not this time Ruff.” Hiccup went to her, offering his hand and pulling her to her feet where she had thrown herself onto her knees. “This time just Astrid. Maybe next time.” He hugged her gently. He always got along with her, even if she was weird as hel, and he missed her random chatter sometimes.

“Promise?” She held up her pinkie finger and he wrapped his gloved one around it.

“Promise.” He nodded.

“Try not to kill anyone whilst I'm away?” Astrid teased, hugging her friend tight, who was making loved up eyes at Hiccup. Astrid elbowed her side in warning.

“What? He gives gooooood hugs.” She mooned and Hiccup flushed bright red, going to check Torch was ok. “Don't get pregnant.”

“Why is everyone assuming that?” She punched her arm then hugged her again, whispering in her ear. “No promises.”

“You're calling it Ruffnut.” She yelled as Astrid walked away, laughing loudly.

“Goodbye Ruff.” She reached Hiccup and smiled as he kissed her forehead.

“Goodbye Astrid, Hiccup, Hiccups mother!” She stood next to Astrid’s parents as Hiccup offered her a leg up onto Torches back, swinging up gracefully behind her.

“Ok he's high.” She could feel her heart jackhammering in her chest and Hiccup secured one hand around her waist, the other patted the dragons slender neck, causing him to ride to his feet. Astrid held in a shriek just barely and Hiccup nodded to his Mother.

“Ready?” He called as she settled on Cloudjumper.

“Ready!” She returned and Hiccup pressed into her back, forcing her forward and pulling down his helmet in one as Torch lurched into the sky, wings beating so loud against the ground Astird wasn't even sure if her scream escaped. They kept climbing and climbing and she held onto Hiccup like a vice as she couldn't get a grip on the dragon himself.  
“You ok?” His voice was next to her ear and calmed her gently.

“Yeah. Just don't look down.” She had her eyes jammed shut and Hiccup laughed gently. She felt them level out, the wind not as strong now and dared to open her eyes. “Oh Gods.”

It was so blue. The kind of blue you never see through the thick grey of Berk. The clouds spread out below them like pillowed grass and the sun shone just off the horizon. It was so quiet too. She dared to turn to Hiccup who pushed his mask up to look at her.

“This is why I wanted you to come.” He kissed her wind-bitten cheek and she hummed, leaning back into him. “His is the colour I see when I see you Astrid. This is the colour of your eyes. This is home. This is beauty. And you're the only one who has ever challenged this being the most beautiful sight in the world.” He smiled at her.

“You're such a sap.” She teased but was smiling and blushing anyway.

“I know.” He kissed her lips gently and his mother broke through the clouds next to them.

“See you at home you too I want to pick some stuff up.” Valka yelled to them.

“See you there.” He called just as she ducked out of view.

“How far is it?” Astrid turned to Hiccup.

“A couple of hours. I've got you baby.” He smiled and she settled against him, watching the horizon.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I needed some fluff, heat and cuddles. This happened. If you want more like this, or heavier stuff? Let me know. Please. I want to know how to gauge how much you guys can take. Thank you for reading. S x

“Hiccup?” Astrid was curled into him shivering. “How long?” 

“Not long, look, there it is.” He pointed as the huge slide of ice rose from the sea and into the side of a mountain. It gave off an almost eerie glow from inside and the ice was a blue Astrid had never seen before. She sat up more and leaned with the dragon as he wove through the clouds and down through a hidden opening. 

“Wow.” She breathed as they were engulfed in a happy medium heat, just below humid. There was more colour here in this cavern than the whole of Berk, the light was shining off of so many faces of solid ice that it created a crystal airway into a green jungle. The centre of the ice was hollowed out and the mountain was carved into caves where dragons eyes lit up as they flew past. Butterflies jumped from each different colour flower delicately and small birds chirped, picking debris off of dragon scales. The dragons though. The dragons were unlike anything Astrid had ever come across. Huge and small little ones flew about and Tinzle landed in Hiccups shoulder as Torch bought them in to land gently. 

“Bow when you get off. The Alpha is watching you.” Hiccup kissed her wind-bitten cheek and slid off, helping her down and brushing ice off of her stiff legs. 

“Where?” She jumped as the mountain moved, eyes watching her over tusks wider than Hiccup was tall, layers of what looked like a mix of fur, scales and feathers adorned his body which was sunk in the water. It looked lazy and mildly pissed off so she bowed next to Hiccup quickly until it breathed cold air over them both. 

“Thank you.” Hiccup straightened up, taking her hand and leading her over to Torch who had waited for them. “Up you go.” He helped her and slid in behind her, smiling under his mask. She was doing so well. Torch flew them up to one of the highest and biggest set of caves, it had one large central cavern, with five exits. 

“Wow.” Astrid smiled at him, slipping down and stroking the Timberjack whilst she looked around. 

“Give me two seconds.” Hiccup placed wood in the fire pit in the centre of the room then asked the dragon to light it before dismissing him with a handful of fish as thanks. The room lit up gently and Hiccup lit the candles around the rook in little dug out crannies and then came back to her, shrugging out of his flight gear and throwing it over the back of the chair to his left. It was sparsely furnished, three large wooden chairs and a small table was it, but it felt homey with jumpers and cloaks thrown around, rugs lining the floor an furs over the chairs. Hiccup came to her and helps her out of her gear, wrapping his arms around her waist as they came off. 

“Hello.” Astrid smiled at him as he dipped her at the waist and kissed her gently, pressing his lips down her chin and neck. 

“Hello M’lady.” He breathed into her skin before raising her back up, tucking her under his chin and holding her close. 

“So this is where the feared Dragon Master lives?” She wrapped herself close to him, humming happily. 

“Oh yeah, lap of luxury much?” He teased leaning down to kiss her, lingering against her lips. “You have no idea how much I like you being here.” 

“I think I do.” She smiled and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down. He went willingly and slid his arms under her thighs, picking her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist and he could have one hand on her back, the other on her ass to balance her, and nipped her bottom lip a couple of times. 

“You want a tour?” He whispered against her lips and she shuddered happily. 

“Start with your room?” She hummed against him and he chuckled gently, walking them down a winding passage, raising his sward to light the way until they reached the end which broke out into a sky light, the ice over the top casting shadows but the shutter was pulled back so it gave off some light. She looked around as she was placed gently on a mound of furs so thick she sank into them with a sigh. Holding in a groan of frustration Hiccup slipped around the room lighting candles and tiding a couple of sketches he had done of her when he was last home. He stuffed them inside a book because they were no where near as perfect as she was and she was here now. 

“Well this is it.” He shrugged, motioning to the bed and the wall of bookshelves. To the far side there was a burned patch of ground where Toothless slept and Hiccup felt his heart contract slightly but tried to move on. He would find him soon. 

“I like it. I don't think I’m ever leaving this bed.” She closed her eyes and got comfortable. A sly smirk crossed her lovers face as he crawled on top of her, caging her between himself and the furs. 

“I have no problem with that M’lady.” He purred into her ear and felt her shudder happily underneath him so he pressed his lips to her neck so softly it just felt like a breath, then moved slowly down the column of creamy skin until he met the fabric of her top which he followed the line of before nibbling her shoulder and traveling north again. Astrid’s eyes were closed and her breath shallow as he continued to make a fuss of her skin, little mews of pleasure escaping her parted lips when he found a spot just under her right ear. He noticed, it's Hiccup, of course he noticed, and kissed there slightly more forcefully, then nibbled gently. 

“Hicc.” Her moan made him instantly hotter and he trapped her lips with his, sliding his tongue along the seam gently, keeping it just the far side of asking entrance but still teasing. His weight was on the arm braced above her head but his right hand was bunched in her leggings which were under her flight suit. He knew they should calm down. He wasn't in any hurry to do so though. 

“Astrid.” He murmured against her lips and her hand tugged at his shirt suddenly, moaning distressed when it didn’t vanish and he had to sit up to pull it over his head. Her eyes mapped every inch of his toned scarred skin, drinking in each dip and angle until her hands raised to trace them. He smiled down at her, amazed she would want to see him shirtless, let alone touch his skin with all the marred sections and damage on it, but was grateful all the same. 

“I like this one.” She traced the teeth dipping around his hipbone and took the opportunity to hook her finger into the waistband of his trousers, watching his eyes close momentarily before yanking him down against her, flipping them so she straddled his waist. He let out a small yelp at the sudden movement but chucked gently at how happy she looked in achieving her task. 

“I like all of you.” He tried to sit up but she pushed him back, her body following his until she claimed his lips. His hands roamed her back as they kissed, eventually settling on her hips. She rocked against him gently and he let out a low moan that vibrated against her chest in the most pleasurable way, making her do it again. His fingers, long and strong, dug into her hips as he tried to calm his breathing. “Astrid.” He warned, nipping her lower lip. But she locked eyes with him, leaning back on her legs so more weight was against his groin, and took the warning as a challenge. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischievous intent and at that point Hiccup realised he was screwed. There was no turning away from this woman, and no taming her. She would always have control and he decided he didn't mind her having it. 

“Hiccup.” She drug her nails down his exposed chest, dipping them into the ridges of the muscles over his stomach and smiling in a more than cat-like way. 

“Yes Astrid?” He tried to play innocent but she moved her hips suddenly and his breath caught sharply. 

“Are you having problems?” She did it again to solidify her point and he moaned gently. 

“Yes.” He admitted, resisting the urge to buck up into her warm body and flip her under him until she screamed his name. 

“Oh really? Why is that?” She walked her hand up his chest, gipping his chin gently before running it down his cheek. 

“You of course.” He turned to kiss her palm and she raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Shall I get off?” She went to raise herself but his hands on her hips stopped her. 

“I'd like to get you off.” He finally sat up and wrapped both arms around her waist, smirking at her as she felt him move, her eyes fluttering slightly as she let out a breathy noise. He kissed her spot under her ear and pulled the bottom of her top out of her leggings, running his hands over the skin of her hips. “Perfect.” He hummed against her skin. “Off?” 

“Off” she lifted her arms so he could slide the material over her head and pressed his chest to her bare stomach, moaning at the contact. Her hands landed in his hair and tipped his head away from her breasts to kiss him, shamelessly rocking against him until he laid down, pulling her with him so he could press back into her movements with his own hips. He ran his hands over her bindings but then slid them down her back to grip her bottom and hold it still as he pressed himself against her. 

“Hiccup. Under.” She grabbed some furs and he shifted enough to get them out from under his back, wrapping them over the two before kissing Astrid’s lips hard. He liked having her here. She was a lot more laid back away from Berk. Much more straight forward with her demands. “Under.” She growled and wiggled her body against his to give him a hint. His hands slid under her leggings once untying them and he bit his lip to stop himself moaning loud enough to echo. Her legs were softer than he anticipated, the skin contrasting perfectly with his slightly calloused hands, and much colder than he cared for. He pushed the clothing down far enough for her to kick them off before sliding her underneath him, hurrying to get his leather pants off as quickly as possible. Once they were off he slid his body between her thighs, kissing her skin and listening to the little happy noises his lady was making, licking a stripe up her neck before claiming her lips again. 

“I want to touch all off you. Screw that I want to kiss all of you Astrid.” He pressed his lips to each of her cheeks, making her smile as he made his way down her chin, kissing her neck and sucking little marks into her collarbones, enjoying the high pitched whine that bought out of her kiss swollen lips, before kissing over her chest bindings, down one arm and across to the other, sucking the tip of each finger then moved down her waist, his hair making her giggle breathlessly as it dragged over her skin, rising it in goosebumps. His lips pressed into the dips inside her hipbones, sucking more marks into both sets. Her hands found their own way to tangle in his dark hair, eyes locked on his movements when his tongue lapped along the top of her underpants, nibbling at the fabric before jumping down and kissing the tops of her thighs, pushing the material up with his nose until he could kiss the crease where they met her body and her low whimpering got suddenly louder so he licked tentatively, then moved back down, teasing her, and followed the line down to her inner left thigh, nibbling marks there too, and went all the way down to her calf. Her eyes had closed a while back and she had a fistful of furs in one hand, the other pressed firmly against her mouth to stop her making noise. His nose brushed against her ankle before he jumped to the other leg, working his way up that devastatingly slow and she was shaking in wound up anticipation by the time he reached the middle of her thigh. 

“Hiccup.” Her voice was so high he almost missed it but he eventually gave in, sliding his hands up to loop around her pants, looking up at her for conformation before she nodded and he crawled to her, kissing her lips as his hand slid inside of them, kissing her whimpers and moans, kissing away her breath when it hitched as his fingers brushed over her centre, kissing away all doubt she may have had. 

 

A while later she lay curled into his side, smiling and making little happy noises that made him smile even though he was panting, trying to ignore the mess in his own pants from watching her react, but happy none the less. The room had darkened and they didn’t want to move from the nest of furs they were in. 

“Astrid?” His voice was heavy with the threat of sleep. “The room to the left? Bathroom. Kitchen is just off the main room. Sleep?” He got up and went to the bathroom to clean in the cold dripping water in the bathroom, coming back in a new pair of boxers. “Sleep sounds good.” He climbed in and Astrid was already snoring gently, but she turned and pressed her face into his chest when he slid next to her. Hiccup fell quickly after.


End file.
